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If there is one thing we have learnt recently, it is to make sure we engage with you, our members. We need your valuable experience and views to shape the future of the College.

How the College is run for patients, and on behalf of its members

You may remember that back in February we took a single proposal regarding governance of the College to an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), asking members to back a package of measures to change the governance of the College and bring us in line with the laws which govern us in our legal status as a charity.

This proposal, while receiving the majority of votes, did not get the support of the two-thirds of attendees needed to pass it. Listening to feedback after the event, we learnt that members had not felt sufficiently involved in the drawing-up of proposals and that including all the proposals in a single vote was complicated.

October is Black History Month, and we welcome it as an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of black anaesthetists to the specialty and the NHS. This year’s theme is ‘Saluting Our Sisters’, in recognition of the fact that the many achievements of black women are too often overlooked. Over the course of the month, we aim to share profiles of some of our members whose achievements and perspectives we want to champion.

One such colleague is Dr Sethina Watson, who gave the address at this year’s Ceremony of Presentation of Diplomates, or ‘Dips Day’ as it is more commonly known. It was an inspiring speech, not only because it demonstrated the extraordinary determination evident in Sethina’s own path to becoming an anaesthetist, but also because of her ability to articulate the differences in our individual experiences while also identifying the motivations we have in common. We have shared Sethina’s speech on our website and it is well worth a read.

As always, Dips Day was a thoroughly enjoyable day all round, and it was a privilege to be part of people’s celebrations and to witness the pride and happiness of their families and friends.