York Medical Society Events
The Art of Medicine Seminars - Making a Difference - Behind the Scenes at the Museum
The Art of Medicine Seminars - Making a Difference - Behind the Scenes at the Museum
Everyday objects used in medicine hold the stories of clinicians and patients. They can represent advances in modern medicine, provoke and sustain personal memories while sometimes perpetuating trauma. Objects act as vessels for our identity and beliefs.
Many medical objects were created with reference to the arts and crafts philosophy to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. They often have design elements that are not obvious in the context of medical care.
How do we choose which objects to preserve as a record of our time?
How does the process of curation ensure an appropriate balance between an object being the guardian of secrets or a resource to reveal the past?
Museums act as a third space where joy can be celebrated and trauma can be recognised, validated and the process of healing commenced. Their collections enable our present and future selves to connect with the past.
We invite you to hear the stories of objects from the archive at York Medical Society and to bring objects that form part of your medical work or professional identity to share and explore their credentials for a place in our imaginary medical museum.
Click here to book
The President's Debate
'This House Supports Assisted Dying'
Speakers:
Mr Oscar Dunn - Year 3 Medical Student, Hull York Medical School
Dr Greg Richardson - Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, York
Mr James Challinor - Year 3 Medical Student, Hull York Medical School
Dr Jeff Clarke - Consultant Psychiatrist for Older Adults, Harrogate
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is currently undergoing scrutiny in the House of Lords. If it becomes law, it will allow people in England and Wales with less than six months to live to seek a physician-assisted death.
But is it ever right that doctors should actively participate in ending life? How can this align with our ancient Hippocratic principle to ‘do no harm’?
Or is the relief of suffering and distress more important than treatment to preserve life? Does assisted dying simply offer modern compassionate medicine, and place patients at the centre of decisions about their own life?
Join us for a stimulating evening debating the ethics and reality of assisted dying - a topic of continuing importance to everyone involved in healthcare.
You will have the opportunity to offer your own views, and to vote before and after you have heard from our four speakers.
Please note that the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the speakers or of York Medical Society and do not endorse any particular position.
Join us for drinks from 7pm.
Meeting starts at 7.30pm followed by supper if booked.
Two course meal with wine – £25 per head - please book your supper before Wednesday 25 March 2026.
This meeting will be face to face in the York Medical Society rooms and also shared via Zoom.
Open to York Medical Society members and their guests. Please book via the usual mailing.
Doctor Google: Our Future Health
Dr Roy Want - Senior Research Scientist, Google, California
AGM followed by President's Valedictory Address
Professor Paul Blenkiron brings his presidential year to a close with his valedictory address - Happiness: What It Is and How To Get More Of It
The Art of Medicine Seminars - Making a Difference - Meaningful Movement
The Art of Medicine Seminars - Making a Difference - Meaningful Movement
Tea and Coffee available before the seminar from 19.00
Join us to explore the health and wellbeing benefits of dance and movement with the amazing York Dance Space and inspiring Allison Singer, Arts Psychotherapist and Dance Anthropologist.
Eventbrite Link to Book
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1984549172999?aff=oddtdtcreator
More information about our seminar facilitators:
York Dance Space was created in 2016 by Dance Artists Hannah and Drew Wintie-Hawkins. After graduating from London Contemporary Dance School they had extensive performing careers before moving back to Hannah's home town, York to create their own independent dance organisation. They are dedicated to promoting the arts and fostering creativity in the community. They mission is to provide accessible cultural experiences that enrich and inspire. They aim to create a kind and inclusive space to dance.
Take a look at their website to see how they are using dance in schools and our community.
Dr Allison Singer is a Senior Humanistic and Integrative Arts Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor with over 25 years clinical experience. She is also a Dance Anthropologist and Ethnomusicologist; and has a background in Dance Movement Psychotherapy, Dramatherapy, and Yoga teaching. Allison's clinical experience includes work with people with complex trauma; depression and anxiety; and with refugee and internally displaced people in a post-conflict zone (De Montfort University, PhD 2007); people with dementia and their carers; and working with life transitions. She focuses mainly on work with women. Allison is the founder and director of The Centre for Movement and Creative Arts in Psychotherapy (MAPTHY); co-founder of the North East Arts Therapies group (NEAT); and a former Chair of the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy. She has also led and been a Senior Lecturer and Consultant on MA Professional Arts Therapies and Arts in Health professional training programmes in the UK.
Read more about MAPTHY on their website.
YMS Founders Prize Presentations
Doctors in training compete for our Postgraduate Founder’s Prize, awarded for research or audit conducted within the Yorkshire and Humber Deanery.
Click here to hear the five varied and exciting talks shortlisted for presentation this year:
Dr Alicja Wos: The ‘Pain story’ - a powerful tool to help patients understand chronic pain better and open up to non-pharmacological interventions
Dr Vinson Chan: Interventional Oncology - New research frontiers in Yorkshire
Dr Katherine Pettinger: An Unequal Start? Ethnic and socio-economic inequalities in neonatal outcomes
Dr Hannah Whelan: When tears tell a different story: A rare manifestation of a common infection
Dr Yavuz Cekic: Robotic versus Laparoscopic Redo Anti-Reflux Surgery - Systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes
Congratulations to Dr Katherine Pettinger who was crowed the winner of this year’s Founder’s Prize.
Flighty, Melancholic and Wild: The History of Psychiatry in York
Dr Bob Adams FRCPsych, M Psychother,
Psychiatrist, Mental Health Tribunal Doctor and Author
A fascinating journey through 240 years of mental health care at the York Asylum, latterly known as Bootham Park Hospital. From stark 18th century diagnoses of ‘flighty’, ‘melancholic’ and ‘wild’ to modern psychiatric practice, this illustrated talk explores the hospital’s origins, controversies, reforms, evolution of treatments and eventual closure in 2015. Dr Adams’ virtual tour also captures the wider social and medical contexts that influenced these developments. Reflecting on both progress and persistent challenges, he will consider what lessons this history offers for contemporary mental health care.
Dr Adams was an NHS Consultant Psychiatrist and clinical director at Bootham Park Hospital for 24 years. Elected President of York Medical Society in 2015, he now works as a Tribunal Doctor for psychiatric hospitals across England. Copies of his popular new book on the subject will be available on the evening. You can also visit our accompanying exhibition on mental health care in York in the Tempest Anderson Room.
Forged In Stardust: Life’s Origins and Our Place in the Universe
Thomas Shutt - Asteroseismologist and award-winning teacher, University of York
From the hydrogen born in the Big Bang to the elements synthesised in ancient stars, the chemical foundations of life on Earth were forged long before our planet existed. In this talk, we will explore where those cosmic ingredients came from, and how they came together to form our solar system and make Earth the fertile, enduring home for life that it is.
We will examine what makes our planet so remarkable, and the likelihood of similar conditions arising elsewhere. Looking beyond our solar system, we’ll explore distant exoplanets, the environments they inhabit, and the challenges life may face on worlds very different from our own. Even if life exists elsewhere, what do the vast distances and cosmic timescales mean for our chances of ever encountering intelligent civilisations?
In so doing, we will consider one of our most profound questions: are we a rare cosmic accident, or is life a natural outcome of a universe rich in stars and planets?
Stargazing - YMS Social Event at York Astronomical Society
Stargazing Star Gazing – Visit to York Astronomical Society
Venue: Beetle Bank Farm, Moor Lane, Murton, York YO19 5XD
Tuesday 27th January 2026
Start time: 7.30pm. Ends 9pm (approx.)
Amateur astronomers Dave Armson and Andrew Stephenson will deliver a 30-minute indoor stargazing presentation and telescopic demonstration before we gaze up to the heavens. A unique sight timed for this evening will be a waxing half-moon passing close to the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) star cluster. Weather permitting, other highlights include a very bright Jupiter and its moons, Venus, the ringed planet Saturn, orange giant Aldebaran and many winter constellations including Orion and its nebula.
This event is kindly hosted by members of York Astronomical Society. Children are most welcome accompanied by an adult YMS member.
Despite the cloudy skies we had a great talk and did get to view some of the telescopes.
Burns Supper and Ceilidh
Burns Supper and Ceilidh - Saturday 24th January 2026
at Merchant Taylors Hall, Aldwark, York
7pm for 7.30pm
Burns Night gives us a chance to dos-à-dos the night away in the wonder Merchant Taylor’s Hall.
Come and join our celebration of the bard’s birthday with a soupcon of haggis and a skirl of the pipes from a former World Champion, Cameron Edgar.
Johanna Lowther will propose the Immortal Memory and Gus McLaren will Address the Haggis
Enjoy a real fire and dram of whisky to keep you warm!!
Just what we need to brighten up our January, och aye the noo!
Music and dancing calls by Alterego
A wonderful time was had by all. Click here to see how much fun we had.
Art of Medicine Seminar: Making a Difference - Ripples of Care
The interactive seminar will use art to help us celebrate the often unnoticed small acts of care that when combined benefit all.
HYMS Electives Awards Presentations
Travels, tales and experiences from our 2025 Bursary winners:
Sarah Fergusson - Sun, Sea and Obs&Gynae! My Caribbean Adventure in Scarborough (Tobago!)
Charlotte Collin – From Manchester to Mombasa: The Diverse Landscape of Cardiology in the UK versus Kenya
Kojo Dankwa – Challenges on the Cape Coast: Tropical Disease, Surgery and O&G in Ghana
Mahsa Mirzayee – Secrets of Panay Island: Ophthalmology and Paediatrics in Iloilo City, Philippines.
Mollie Merrifield - From Hull to a Fishing Village in Ghana: How my split elective transformed by view of the NHS
The Magic of Christmas
Charity Social Event - The Magic of Christmas
York Celebration Singers and members of York Medical Society present Music Readings Humour Food Wine
A wonderful evening enjoyed by all.
Click here to watch a video of the event.
Proceeds from the evening will be donated to our World Charity for 2025-26: The International Committee of the Red Cross. c£700 raised so far.
There is still time to donate if you wish - email yorkmedicalsociety@gmail.com for our bank details
A Calorie is a Calorie - The Inescapable Science That Controls Our Body Weight
Professor Keith Frayn, PhD ScD, Emeritus Professor of Human Metabolism, Radcliffe Departmentof Medicine, University of Oxford
Winner of the British Nutrition Society's first-ever Blaxter Award and author of an acclaimed newbook.
We all know someone who seems to eat very little yet cannot avoid weight gain, or someone whoeats everything they like while remaining slim. Why? The last 10 years have seen increasingchallenges to the simple model of ‘calories in = calories out’. Even specialists are nowquestioning the forces that shape body weight. In this cutting edge talk, Professor Frayn takesus on a deep dive into the real science of energy balance. He provides a clear-eyed perspectiveon current trends mired in controversy and confusion: time-restricted eating, intermittent fasting,low-carb versus low-fat meal plans, high-protein breakfasts and other dietary fads. He shows usit is possible to reshape our lives and improve health by going back to what is known aboutcalories and getting smart about what to eat.
Join us for drinks from 7pm. Meeting starts at 7.30pm followed by supper if booked.
Two course meal with wine - £25 per head - please book your supper before 3 December 2025 - book via members mailing or email yorkmedicalsociety@gmail.com
Christmas Wreath Making Workshop
Come and get into the festive spirit at 23 Stonegate and make your own Christmas Wreath.
Hosted by York School of Floristry, a special, creative festive workshop where you’ll learn how to use seasonal foliage and natural materials to make your own original wreath to take home.
The workshop was a huge success as demonstrated by the beautiful wreaths pictured below.
Art of Medicine - Life on the Big Screen
At this seminar, we will explore how film helps us understand the patient perspective of illness.
Book your tickets on Eventbrite
Christmas Wine Tasting
A selection of new wines for Christmas!
** NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FROM THE PROGRAMME **
We are delighted to announce that we have a great selection of wines for our popular walk-around Christmas Tasting.
This is a great opportunity to meet friends and colleagues in the congenial surroundings of our wonderful Medical Society rooms.
Why not invite colleagues to show the advantages of belonging to such an illustrious society?
We have selected forty exciting new wines/new vintages of old favourites to show to coincide with the new Christmas list.
Come and enjoy a range of over forty exciting whites and reds from France, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, South Africa and Chile.
Order your favourite wines for Christmas – at a special price for those attending.
Tickets are only £12 a head, for both members and their guests.
Please don’t hesitate to book, as we will close the list when the numbers dictate we are full.
Friday 21st November 2025 at 7.00 pm to 8.15 pm at 23 Stonegate, York YO1 8AW
RSVP to York Medical Society Wine Club
Medical Murderers
Medical Murderers - Methods and Motives
Dr Neil Snowise FFPM – Pharmaceutical Physician and Visiting Senior Lecturer, Kings College, London
Doctors and nurses are in a unique position of trust (primum non nocere – ‘first, do no harm’). But with that trust comes knowledge and power over life and death. In this fascinating talk, Dr Snowise reveals how some of our most respected health professionals were able – literally – to get away with murder. From graveyards to poisons, court cases and the GMC, we explore the chilling paradox of those who spend years learning to preserve life but then turn their minds on ending it. Spanning three centuries to the present day, we look at nurses who have been serial killers, questioning their methods and motives. We then focus on doctors, especially physicians who murdered their spouses – why they did it, how they did it and how their methods have changed over the years. The conclusion examines why doctors think they will evade detection and asks whether justice is always done.
What Did The Romans Do For Yorkshire?
Dr John R Gibbins, BSc, MA, PhD, FBA, Wolfson College, Cambridge University and former Visiting Archivist, Wren Library
The Romans truly left their mark on us. Look around Yorkshire today and you will see this not only in the layout of our roads, towns, schools and hospitals, but in the way we live. This fascinating talk will explore the lasting legacy of Roman life across our law, language, religion, arts, knowledge and shared traditions. We will learn how four emperors visited York to reaffirm our cultural belonging and hear of new insights surrounding important local archaeological discoveries such as Isurium Brigantium and the Fortress of Eboracum.
Walking Tour: The History & Personalities of York
Join us for a walking tour discovering the history and personalities of York led by Gary Bateson - York Tour Guide and Joseph Rowntree Theatre Trustee.
At 1.30pm we’ll walk through central York, hearing tales about familiar and some less well known buildings. Spanning its long historical heritage, from Romans to the medieval era, from the Industrial Revolution to modern media celebrities, we will discover what makes York such a fascinating place to explore.
Tea/Coffee and Cakes will be served afterward
You are then invited to join us for Evensong Celebration of St Luke at York Minster at 4pm.
Please see membership mailing to book or email yorkmedicalsociety@gmail.com
Annual Dinner
The YMS President and Orator
York Medical Society Annual Dinner at the Oak Room, Milner Hotel, York.
The President, Orator and guests perform
7.30 for 8.00pm
Music by The Blenkiron Sisters
£65 per person
Black Tie - Three Course Meal
Paired wines from York Medical Society Wine Club
Open to Society members and their guests
York Medical Society Annual Oration - members only version with recording
YMS President Prof Paul Blenkiron and Orator Prof Bernard Keavney
"Heart Disease in the 21st Century: Genes, Prevention and Treatment "
Professor Bernard Keavney BSc, BM BCh, DM, FRCP
Professor Bernard Keavney is the British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Manchester and NHS Consultant Cardiologist at Manchester Hospitals Foundation Trust. He is also Honorary Professor of Medicine at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where his research helping to identify and fight cardiovascular disease in the African population was short listed for a Newton Award.
From 2014 to 2022, he was Chair of the International Scientific Advisory Board for UK Biobank - the world’s most detailed study tracking the long-term health of half a million people as they age.
Bernard’s clinical work at the Manchester Heart Centre focusses on heart disease in pregnancy and also on inherited cardiac and aortic conditions. He leads a multidisciplinary clinical team offering a service to people in the North-West of England. His scientific research looks at how differences in the genes we inherit from our parents increase our risk of heart and circulatory diseases. His team published the world's first studies of congenital heart disease to identify parts of the human genetic code that are important in heart development.
His innovative work is supported by the British Heart Foundation, Medical Research Council and National Institute of Health Research. He has published around 200 discovery science papers, reviews and book chapters, and is ranked in the top 1% of scientific authors. He has been a committed teacher, mentor and role model to many students, young scientists and medical doctors.
The meeting will start at 2pm and end at approximately 3.15pm, when tea and cakes will be served
To book places or request a zoom invitation please email yorkmedicalsociety@gmail.com
We look forward to welcoming you for a fascinating afternoon
Paul Blenkiron, President
Orator Prof Bernard Keavney
York Medical Society Annual Public Oration
YMS President Prof Paul Blenkiron and Orator Prof Bernard Keavney
"Heart Disease in the 21st Century: Genes, Prevention and Treatment "
Professor Bernard Keavney BSc, BM BCh, DM, FRCP
Professor Bernard Keavney is the British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Manchester and NHS Consultant Cardiologist at Manchester Hospitals Foundation Trust. He is also Honorary Professor of Medicine at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where his research helping to identify and fight cardiovascular disease in the African population was short listed for a Newton Award.
From 2014 to 2022, he was Chair of the International Scientific Advisory Board for UK Biobank - the world’s most detailed study tracking the long-term health of half a million people as they age.
Bernard’s clinical work at the Manchester Heart Centre focusses on heart disease in pregnancy and also on inherited cardiac and aortic conditions. He leads a multidisciplinary clinical team offering a service to people in the North-West of England. His scientific research looks at how differences in the genes we inherit from our parents increase our risk of heart and circulatory diseases. His team published the world's first studies of congenital heart disease to identify parts of the human genetic code that are important in heart development.
His innovative work is supported by the British Heart Foundation, Medical Research Council and National Institute of Health Research. He has published around 200 discovery science papers, reviews and book chapters, and is ranked in the top 1% of scientific authors. He has been a committed teacher, mentor and role model to many students, young scientists and medical doctors.
Paul Blenkiron, President
Orator Prof Bernard Keavney
Bat Night
Join us and the East Yorkshire Bat Group in York Cemetery to learn more about these fascinating creatures including listening equipment to find and hopefully spot them.
Music as Medicine
Alison Barrington from North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre.
Also featuring Noteworthy Ladies Barbershop Quartet.
How do we engage with music? Does it provide the ultimate exercise for your brain?
This evening we uncover some extraordinary developments in the use of music as a therapeutic tool across health care settings, hospitals, schools and daycentres - with a chance for you to participate too.
Noteworthy, the award-winning York Ladies Barbershop Quartet, will entertain us before and after the presentation.
Annual Oration 2024
The year started on the 12th October with our Annual Oration in the Societies rooms, 23 Stonegate, at 2pm.
Dr Gwen Adshead, forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Broadmoor Hospital, author of ‘The Devil You Know’ gave a talk entitled ‘Killing time: the work of a forensic psychotherapist”
The lecture room was full with over 70 in attendance.
The Annual Dinner followed in the evening in The Oak Room at The Principal Hotel
The evening was well attended with Tim Hughes and Paul Blenkiron giving some very entertaining speeches and Dr Gwen Adshead making the case that William Shakespeare could be regarded as the first forensic psychiatrist.
Dr Gwen Adshead is the 2024 Reith lecturer and her lecture series ” Four Questions about Violence” develops themes from her Oration and went out first on 24/11/24 and is available on the BBC.
