Scottish Spine – 2026 – Edinburgh – 17th Meeting
Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November 2026
“Quality spine care – in the UK Context”
As healthcare professionals based in the Scottish Health Service providing care for patients with conditions of the spine, we want to share best practice. Our annual informal and friendly gathering helps us achieve quality and safe clinical care for patients now, and improve in the future. At present this forum and website are for healthcare professionals involved in spine healthcare only. However, who knows what the future will bring?
For our meeting this year we return to Symposium Hall at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Go to the NHS Microsoft Teams – “Scottish Spine” to check you are listed. If not, e-mail Chris (Adams) who will add you. We will use that Teams channel for announcements, registration, free paper abstracts, and more.
We look forward to welcoming you. Best wishes from your local organising team for Edinburgh 2026;
- Chairperson – Jothy Kandasamy, Consultant Neurosurgeon
- Deputy chairperson – Orla Creed, Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner – Spinal Team
- Treasurer and Secretary – Chris Adams, Consultant Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon
Draft Programme
First released 24 September 2026 (version D). Please do not hesitate to get in touch with the local organisers with any thoughts, before, during and after. This is our meeting.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Application to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh – Recognition number – RCSEd to follow (x hours Day 1, y hours Day 2). (For reference only, previously 5 and 3 hours respectively).
Abbreviations: (P) = physiotherapist : (S) = spine surgeon: (S-N) = spine surgeon – neurosurgery: (S-O) = spine surgeon – orthopaedics.
| Thursday 12 November – morning (scan QR for CPD) | |
| 09:30 – REGISTRATION – refreshments and meet our sponsors | |
| 10:00 – Welcome by Jothy Kandasamy and Orla Creed | |
| Session 1 – For trainees in Physiotherapy, Neurosurgery, and Orthopaedics (but for all grades) | |
| 10:10 – “Principles and application of injury classifications – thoracic and lumbar spine” | TBC (any) |
| 10:30 “How to become trained as a specialist in secondary spine healthcare – and succession planning” (Reports and information from Scottish training leads) | Physiotherapy (tbc) Neurosurgery (tbc) Orthopaedic Surgery (tbc) |
| 10:50 – Tricks and tips – Medicolegal – “Becoming an expert for the court, or at least in your practice” | Chris Barrett (tbc) Chris Adams |
| 11:10 – BREAK – refreshments and meet our sponsors | |
| 11:40 – Non-NHS practice – “Accountancy 101 for your ‘side hustle / hustles’ – and is a company name for life?” | Accountancy firm tbc |
| 12:00 – “How the team deal with an unintended spinal fluid leak – from theatre, to going home, and beyond” | TBC (S) |
| 12:20 – “Contemporary management of low back pain” | Gavin Ritch Mary O’Riordan |
| 13:00 – LUNCH and meet our sponsors | |
| Thursday 12 November – afternoon to evening (scan QR for CPD) | |
| 14:00 – Session 2 – Comparing Scotland to UK services and UK guidance | |
| 14:00 – Revisiting the adult deformity debate – Murray (For) v Garrido (Agin) at 2019 – 12th AGM | Enrique Garrido |
| 14:10 – “Lessons from the 10 year journey to establish the North East Adult Deformity Service (NEADS) – and the future” | John Andrews |
| 14:40 – “Where are we with Enhanced Recovery After Spine Surgery (ERASS)” – reflecting on Sandeep Konduru at 2016-9th AGM | Jothy Kandasamy |
| 15:10 – Scottish Spine Regions – Official patient data – Disc prolapse and lumbar spinal stenosis procedures – January to March 2026 (final quarter of financial year 2025-2026) – Physiotherapist / Surgeon team – aim 10 minutes each | |
| Aberdeen | Tbc (P) Santosh Baliga (S) |
| Dundee | Tbc (P) Tbc (S) |
| Edinburgh | Karen Outram (P) Jothy Kandasamy (S) |
| Glasgow Neuro | Tbc (P) Tbc (S) |
| Glasgow Ortho | Tbc (P) Niall Craig (S) |
| Inverness | Tbc (P) Gerry Cousins (S, tbc) |
| 16:10 – BREAK – refreshments and meet our sponsors | |
| 16:40 – While Health Boards may come, and go – “Balancing priorities between primary care and secondary care for spine pathways in Scotland” | Scottish Government – Chief Medical Officer, or Deputy (tbc) |
| 17:20 – “Where are we now with Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Spine Registries in Scotland” – revisiting Lee Breakwell at 2017-10th AGM, and Tim Piggott at 2019-12th AGM Scottish edit of Webinar: “How to Build a Successful Clinical Registry: Lessons from the British Spine Registry” | Discussion – chaired by Jothy Kandasamy Video premier (Original webinar 22 September 2026, with permission from Amplitude) |
| 17:50 – Learning from Mistakes: A Case I Learnt From – Theme – “my misplaced pedicle screw”. *** NO PATIENT IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION *** | Volunteers in advance please. E-mail Chris Adams and for NHS Teams only |
| 18:30 – The votes are in – Our New Logo!, Scottish Spine Group Photo and Close | |
| Annual Dinner | Details on NHS MS Teams |
| Friday 13 November – morning (scan QR for CPD) | |
| 09:00 – RECOVERY – refreshments and meet our sponsors | |
| Session 3 – Comparing Scotland to UK services and UK guidance | |
| 09:30 – “Urgent spine care clinic – sharing care between Spinal APP and neurosurgical registrars” | Jennifer McKechnie (P) James Loan (S-N) |
| 10:20 – Free Papers The accepted abstracts will be on NHS Teams | Judges: John Andrews Orla Creed Santosh Baliga Calan Mathieson – tbc |
| 11:20 – BREAK – refreshments and meet our sponsors | |
| 11:40 – “From Backlog to Breakthrough – Developing a radiographer-led CT guided nerve root injection service” | Lindsey Golden – Radiographer |
| 12:10 – “Choosing and opportunities of a second career in named spine care practice” | Sonnie Khan (Tbc) |
| 12:40 – Presentation of prizes (First, Second, and New Logo) | Orla Creed Presented by John Andrews |
| 12:45 – Closing remarks. Next meeting – 2027 – Dundee – 18th Funding Scottish Spine, including donation debate. Revisit our trademark, “We’ve Got Your Back” TM The pros and cons of seeking charitable status. | Santosh Baliga Chris Adams |
| 13:00 to 14:00 – LUNCH, then depart | |