Annual Scientific Meeting
2 - 4 July 2008
Liverpool

The city of Liverpool is famous throughout the world, mainly today for its great football clubs, but in centuries past as a busy sea port, transporting millions from all over Europe as they emigrated to the New World from its memorable waterfront. In 2008, Liverpool is the European City of Culture, and much financial investment has been put into it in recent months to prepare for this event. Liverpool looks exciting and colourful at the present time. A full cultural programme has been developed to celebrate this special event throughout the year, and there is already little space left for latecomers to hold an event in Liverpool in 2008.

But there is plenty of space for GAT and it is an ideal time to visit this vibrant city. The organising committee wish to give delegates a strong sense of the clinical contribution of Liverpool to anaesthesia, for it was here that modern day European practice was born, over 60 years ago. In 1942, T Cecil Gray, then a general practitioner in down-town Liverpool, read about curare in the American journal, Anesthesiology, and subsequently introduced a completely new approach known as the Liverpool anaesthetic technique into British practice. Gone forever was deep inhalational anaesthesia with ether or chloroform, for with muscle relaxation and hyperventilation the door was open for major cardiac and neuroanaesthesia, for paediatric anaesthesia and for intensive care. It is therefore apposite that these are the topics which we will discuss in detail at the Liverpool GAT meeting, together with Liverpool’s significant contribution to neuromuscular pharmacology in the last 60 years. Workshops will update your clinical practice on the difficult airway and regional anaesthesia, and state-of-the art simulators will continue your ongoing education.

Liverpudlians are friendly, outgoing, ebullient characters with a great sense of humour (think of Ken Dodd, Ricky Tomlinson, Paul O’Grady and Arthur Askey). They are loyal to those who are worthy of it, and respect energy and commitment, however eccentric the individual. Everyone is accepted in Liverpool, as long as they have something to give. Come and give your contribution to making this the most successful GAT meeting ever. Submit your scientific posters in good time! Taste the atmosphere in the exciting bars in the Albert Dock development. Savour some genteel Victorian elegance at the annual dinner in the recently renovated Palm House in Sefton Park, and sample the sights of this great Victorian city – the Pier Head (and the Mersey ferries), St George’s Hall, and Tate Liverpool – all with their unique architecture.

We very much look forward to meeting you in Liverpool: see you in “Penny Lane”.

Jennifer M Hunter
Professor of Anaesthesia
University of Liverpool

For further information and to book please visit the GAT ASM in the Events section of the website.

Many thanks to all those who attended GAT ASM in Brighton and helped to make it such a success.

> Read the meeting report