On the rounds

PEOPLE

PETER Bates, the chairman of the NHS Tayside Board, is to retire this summer after seven years in office. The post will be advertised this month by the Office for Public Appointments.
• THE General Medical Council's fitness to practice panel is due to meet in Manchester this week to consider the case of Dr Michael John Munro, whose area of practice is listed as Aberdeenshire.

It is alleged that Munro, a consultant neonatologist, "failed to provide adequate treatment" in respect of Baby X and Baby Y. It is also alleged that, contrary to guidelines issued by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Munro gave pancuronium to Baby X and Baby Y and that his administration of the drug hastened the deaths of Baby X and Baby Y.

NEWS

NHS Fife and NHS Tayside have handed out free sun hats to children from primary one to primary three. The hats are part of a summer resource pack provided to schools and after-school clubs to help children stay safe in the sun. Funded by the Big Lottery, the project is based on "Keep Yer Shirt On", the nursery sun-awareness project run by the health boards.

• NHS Grampian is looking for members of the public to share their views about health and healthcare services. The health board is looking for people to serve on its patient focus and public involvement committee, its community forum and for other groups and for individual pieces of work. Call 01224-554400 or e-mail grampian@nhs.net

• THE computer tomography (CT) suite at Perth Royal Infirmary has been refurbished using money from the Tayside NHS Board Endowment Fund. The refit took place after a larger CT scanner was installed in the suite in March. The fund consists of donations and legacies from patients, their relatives, the public and other organisations.

• PROFESSOR Steven Heys, a consultant surgeon and head of studies into cancer medicine at Aberdeen University, accepted two cheques last week.

The first, for £79,064, came from the organisers of the Moonlight Prowl, a fundraising walk in Fraserburgh. The second cheque, for £10,000, was donated by those who took part in a day-long jazzercise event in Aberdeen. The money will help fund research into breast cancer.

• MORE than 170 partygoers from NHS Tayside's department of ophthalmology attended the Midsummer Eye Ball at the Invercarse Hotel, Dundee, on Friday.

Stuart Roxburgh, a consultant who helped to organise the ball, says: "All funds raised will go directly towards ophthalmic research, including detection of cancer and retinal disease."

• BURN House, near Edzell, in Angus, raised £400 for the special care baby unit at Ninewells Hospital, in Dundee. The country house opened its grounds to the public as part of Scotland's Gardens Scheme.

• GEORGE Donald, one of the stars of a fundraising concert for diabetes research staged at Perth Concert Hall in April, presented a cheque for £7,355 to Michael Archibald, chairman of Dundee University's diabetes research campaign at Perth Royal Infirmary.

EVENT

SCIENTISTS from Aberdeen University's bone group have organised this year's annual meeting of the Bone Research Society, which begins today at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Professor David Reid, chair in rheumatology at Aberdeen University, will chair the annual meeting. Around 100 presentations will be made over the three days, with lectures from experts as well as talks and poster presentations from younger researchers.