European Plastic Surgery & Related Organisations
There are a number of Plastic Surgical and related organisations within Europe, and this page provides basic information about them and links to their websites, where further information is available.
UEMS (Union Européenne de Médecins Spécialistes)
The UEMS is the body which represents all doctors working in all specialties throughout the various countries which are members or associates of the UEMS. Although membership of UEMS is not directly linked to the European Union, it is recognised as an official body which reports up through the Committée Permanent to the various general directorates of the European Union. It is thus possible for pressure to be brought at a European level when necessary. It has working groups on CPD, Postgraduate Training etc.
>> UEMS website
EACCME (Europen Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education)
This is a UEMS initiative for granting pan-European CME approval to meetings, courses etc., which have normally already been approved in the holding country.
UEMS (Section of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery)
There is a section within the UEMS for each of the recognised specialties, one of which is Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. The section receives no funding officially. National delegates to the section are officially nominated by the National Doctors Organisation of the relevant country, often on the advice of the National Plastic Surgery Society. Its responsibilities lie in the harmonisation of standards within Europe, for example of training programmes and continuing professional development and the encouragement of exchanges etc. It is asked for its opinion on various matters from time to time. It is allowed to set up working groups to perform some of its functions.
>> UEMS website
ESPRAS (European Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery)
This is the European component of the International Confederation of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (IPRAS). Its members are all those European national societies of plastic surgery which are officially recognised by IPRAS. It thus has the greatest number of countries in its membership as it includes non EU and non UEMS countries. Each national plastic surgery society provides one delegate and there is an executive committee responsible for the day to day running. Its functions are as follows: To organise the four yearly European Congress of Plastic Surgery Between the quadrennial congress, the ESPRAS also supports a European appointed meeting which is a meeting of one of the national societies which is opened up to greater international participation. Douglas Murray's summer meeting in Birmingham was an example of this some years ago. To run the ESPRAS website as a source of information both for patients and for plastic surgeons within Europe. A recent initiative of ESPRAS is SHARE whose goals are to facilitate, coordinate and improve the quality of humanitarian activities involving European plastic surgeons.
EURAPS (European Association of Plastic Surgeons)
This is a society to which individual members are elected and pay a subscription. It is the equivalent of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, to which it is affiliated. It holds an annual scientific meeting which is generally held to be of very high standard. It has no official status. It uses its revenues to promote research and educational exchanges.