BIASP Statement in relation to The Times Article

Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, President 2020-2021

BASP had an opportunity for transformation following the rise in membership fees and the appointment of a secretariat provided by a professional association management company. However, the COVID-19 pandemic spread as Rustam began his presidency, which presented not only considerable challenges for leadership of a specialty into the unknown but also a tremendous impetus for collaboration and inclusion. These forces shaped his presidency and his BASP strategy 2021-2024, which emphasised external engagement and administrative excellence alongside BASP’s longstanding priorities for clinical services, teaching and training, and research.

Rustam educated, embedded, and maximised the cost-effectiveness of the new secretariat, which put in place: a robust new election platform; a new membership database; rigorous financial oversight, protection and forecasting; new marketing and social media initiatives; and a commercial support policy after a membership survey, alongside basic secretarial and administrative services. After reviewing progress against the existing BASP strategy, he wrote a new strategy with metrics and a monitoring plan. Keen for equality in the Executive Committee to include and reflect the diversity of the stroke workforce, Rustam embedded this in the strategy. New External Engagement and Sustainability Executive committee posts were created to support the strategy and respond to the climate crisis, leading to BASP being the first professional association to join the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change in March 2020. Rustam led BASP’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included surveying its impact on stroke services, joining the Aerosol Generating Procedure (AGP) Alliance, obtaining a pledge of support for stroke services from the ABN, supporting the transformation of the UKSF conference into a virtual event, supporting COVID-19 and VITT surveillance activities, hosting guidance for adaptation of stroke services from GIRFT/AHSN/NHSE/BASP, and disseminating knowledge about COVID-19 and stroke. COVID-19 inspired even greater collaboration between the UK nations, and the inclusion of the Republic of Ireland, resulting in Rustam creating the Five Nations Stroke Group in March 2020 and ultimately a membership vote in favour of explicitly including members from the Republic of Ireland and re-naming the organisation as the, “British and Irish Association of Stroke Physicians (BIASP)” in December 2021. Rustam also helped to ensure that all five nations committed to the first National Clinical Guideline for Stroke for the UK and Ireland.

Rustam was very grateful to have been well supported by an Executive Committee, who worked hard to improve clinical standards, address the workforce crisis, improve education and training, and promote research. BASP supported invited service reviews, the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E), sustainability initiatives, monthly virtual educational webinars, and the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for stroke.

Nonetheless, at the end of Rustam’s presidency, there remained a need to further improve clinical stroke standards, address the stroke workforce challenges, increase numbers of stroke trainees, and increase the quantity, quality and engagement with stroke research, leaving his successor – Professor Gillian Mead – with no shortage of things to do!