Background:

IDEALS (www.IDEALS.org.uk) was established in 2000 by John Beavis, a retired orthopaedic surgeon. Previously known as The Bosnian Fund its mission is to relieve poverty, distress and suffering in any part of the world affected by conflict and/or natural disaster. It has worked in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. What distinguishes IDEALS from other charities is its long-term commitment and support for the areas it has been involved in.

IDEALS has been involved in work in Gaza since 2009. The limb reconstruction project started in January 2013. Its remit: to teach, train, treat and capacity building in a specialist area of orthopaedic and plastic surgery – namely treating the severely injured. It has provided training for orthopaedic surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists as well as providing specialist orthopaedic equipment. The charity has helped in the treatment of war wounded patients and those injured in 2018-19 border demonstrations. It is currently recognised as a specialist Emergency Medical Team by the World Health Organisation. Since December 2023 there have been 4 Missions and the 5th is due out in May 2024. It is hoped that there will be a further 6 visits this year.

The lecture will cover the work that has been done in setting up a specialist unit in Gaza, the first tertiary service within The Strip, the challenges involved, the impact of the present war and hopes for the future.

Speakers:

Sarah Philips is an Orthopaedic Surgeon with an interest in Limb Reconstruction. She was appointed as a consultant at King’s College Hospital in 1998. She was in the Army Reserves for over 30 years retiring in 2021 and deploying in March 2003 for Op Telic 1 (2nd Gulf War). She has been a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Barbers since 2014. She served on the Charity Committee from 2018 – 2021. She is a Trustee of 2 charities – IDEALS and Rebuild (www.IDEALS.org.uk and www.rebuildcharity.org ). IDEALS was established in 2000 by John Beavis. Its mission: to relieve poverty, distress and suffering in any part of the world affected by conflict and/or natural disaster. It has worked in Bosnia-Herzegovia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Sarah has been involved in helping to establish a Limb Reconstruction Service in Gaza since 2013. IDEALS has provided training for orthopaedic surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists as well as providing specialist orthopaedic equipment. The charity has helped in the treatment of war-wounded patients and those injured in 2018-19 border demonstrations. She has recently returned from a mission to Gaza in Feb 2024 and is planning to return in May & August 2024.

Victoria Rose is a British-trained fully accredited Consultant Plastic Surgeon working at both St Thomas' Hospital and King's College Hospital. She is on the General Medical Council's specialist register for Plastic Surgery and is a member of The British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Her main area of expertise is complex microsurgical reconstruction.

Miss Rose started her training in Plastic Surgery in 1998 and worked in a variety of London Plastic Surgery Units as well as the prestigious Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead and the St Andrew's Centre in Chelmsford. During her training, she spent time at the MD Anderson in Dallas, Akademikliniken in Stockholm and was a microsurgical fellow in Taiwan for 15 months.

She has been an NHS Consultant since 2007 and worked initially in Manchester at the Nightingale Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital, heading up the breast reconstruction service, for one of the largest breast cancer units in the country. In April 2013 she moved back to London to take the post of Lead for Plastic Surgery Trauma Reconstruction at King’s College Hospital.

Her main areas of interest are microsurgical breast reconstruction, complex breast reconstruction and lower limb trauma reconstruction. She is actively involved in Plastic Surgery training and has represented both the London and North West Deaneries. Currently, she is the chair of the Specialist Advisory Committee for the Joint Committee of Surgical Training. She holds a PG Certificate in Medical Education and obtained a medical law degree at Cardiff University in 2018. She is an honorary lecturer at King’s College London in the Faculty of Life Science & Medicine.