Trainee medics and junior doctors from across the UK gathered in Manchester last weekend to attend an annual conference in support of surgeons who volunteer in warzones.
The conference was hosted by medical students at the University of Manchester, who are part of a national group called the Friends of David Nott Foundation.
This is a student-run society which supports its parent charity, the David Nott Foundation.
David Nott surgeons travel to areas of conflict and disaster – including Syria, Turkey, Libya and most recently Ukraine – and use their knowledge to teach local surgeons how to manage complex injuries.
Elly Nott, co-founder and CEO, says: “The David Nott Foundation was formed on the basis of the belief that well trained doctors save more lives.”
The student network is made up of aspiring surgeons and change-makers who hope to carry out similar work in the future.
FNDF’s national lead Ellen Young founded the Manchester branch, and praised the city for its forward thinking in medicine: “A lot of the foundation’s trainers are from here – it’s really nice to be able to host the national conference.”
Conference attendees got a first-hand insight into the work of war surgeons, as they learned more about unusual orthopaedic procedures and heard from doctors who had volunteered their services on the frontlines.
