Simon Goldie, Univeristy Hospital Southampton
The Hallam Conference Centre, in central London proved an excellent choice of venue, offering modern facilities and warm hospitality. The meeting was superbly organised by the ENT UK team, with particular recognition to Pam, whose efforts ensured the day ran seamlessly. The atmosphere throughout was one of enthusiasm, collaboration, and support for innovation.
The day began with the BOARS free paper presentations, chaired by Mr David Hamilton. These rapid-fire talks set the tone, covering a wide range of themes: validating airflow measures in nasal reconstructive surgery, predictors and epidemiology of thyroid cancer, patient-centred definitions of success in stapes surgery, and systematic reviews in phonomicrosurgery. The quality of the work and engagement from the audience highlighted the strong research culture emerging among trainees.
This was followed by a keynote from Professor Carl Philpott, who shared the journey of the MACRO Trial programme and the lessons of delivering multicentre, translational research. The Dutch Prize winners then presented their work, with Dr Anne Heirman focusing on shared decision-making in head and neck oncology, and Dr Maarten Vijverberg discussing approaches to managing auricular anomalies. Two further keynotes broadened the morning programme: Mr Bhavesh Patel showcased how YouTube can be harnessed as a powerful tool for surgical education, while Ms Natalie Bohm gave an inspiring account of her career path bridging surgery, science, and leadership.
The afternoon programme began with the Rowena Ryan Awards, chaired by Professor Taran Tatla. Finalists presented across audit, research, teaching, and SFO-led innovation. Highlights included machine learning applications in laryngeal cancer, frugal hearing technologies for low-resource settings, sustainable approaches to endoscopy, and modernising ENT education through podcasts, simulation, and digital platforms.
The ENT UK Foundation Grant Award session, chaired by Professors Nirmal Kumar and Sadie Khwaja, showcased important initiatives in inclusivity for transgender and non-binary patients, the TYPHOON study, and UK consensus guidance for transnasal oesophagoscopy.
The afternoon keynote by Professor Amin Javer, provocatively titled ‘SNOT transplants for refractory CRS,’ was a highlight, challenging delegates to consider bold new directions in rhinology.
The day concluded with celebration of award winners, notably the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Professor Terry Jones, and the National Trainer of the Year in ENT, awarded to Ashok Rokade (Winchester and Southampton) for his exceptional commitment to training.
The 2025 Showcase was a resounding success, reaffirming the strength, diversity, and collaborative ethos of ENT research in the UK.
