News

ISPO mourns loss of Dr Herbert J B ('Binks') Day

It is with sadness we inform the ISPO community of the recent passing of Dr Herbert J B Day on 23 December 2022.

'Binks' Day was born in London on 7 February 1927 and trained as a doctor at Kings College Hospital. After graduation he worked in Accident & Emergency and Orthopaedic Surgery.

He entered the Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre (ALAC) service at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton, London where he had a close productive relationship with Dr Robin Redhead. In 1960 Binks was posted to Manchester as Senior Medical Officer, where he remained up to his retirement in 1990.

Binks Day’s accomplishments were many and varied, including:

• Founder member of ISPO UK where he served as Vice Chairman of the UK Member Society for two terms. Binks was highly respected in the field internationally and also served on the International Board of ISPO.
• Introduced the clinical use of the Myoelectric Prosthesis to the UK service.
• Wrote up the definitive Classification of Congenital Limb Deficiency. This classification is used internationally to this day.
• Pioneering Research to measure function, including step counting of lower limb activity.
• In 1997, Binks chaired a committee that wrote Standards and Guidelines for the management of people born with Congenital Upper Limb Deficiency.
• Represented the UK at International Prosthetic Standards Committees for many years.
• Teaching and mentoring doctors, nurses, and therapists right up to the time of his retirement. Every DSC doctor, at the time, had spent some period of their training with Binks.

A big man with the ability to see a logical and humorous way through any difficulty. He leaves behind many friends and colleagues but, above all - from Binks' point of view - many hundreds of patients, particularly children and their parents, who were under his loving care.

Binks was predeceased by his wife Minty - who regularly joined him on the ISPO conference trail - and leaves four children, and their families.

Online Research Survey - Experiences Working with Partial Hand Prosthetics

Do you work with (or have you worked with) partial hand prosthetic devices or users of partial hand prostheses?

Have you practiced this work within the last 5 years?

Are you willing to take part in an online survey lasting up to 15 minutes?

Are you able to take part in a survey written in the English language?

Researchers at the University of Strathclyde Department of Biomedical Engineering are investigating partial hand prostheses from the perspective of the workforce who develop, assess or prescribe them, and seek volunteers to participate - in particular people who work with partial hand prosthetic devices or users of partial hand prostheses (eg. prosthetists, orthotists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, hand therapists, hand surgeons and engineers.

Interested in participating?

Please contact Kirsty Carlyle,
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde

ISPO mourns loss of Professor Kingsley Peter Robinson

It is with great sadness that we would like to inform you of the passing of Professor Kingsley Robinson on 3^rd August 2021. Professor Robinson led the Amputee Service at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton, London for many years until his retirement in 1997.

Dr Sooriakumaran, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine at Queen Mary’s for over 30 years provides a summary of Professor Robinson’s extensive clinical work.

SIG: Upper Limb Difference & Acquired Amputation - Next meeting 17th September 2021

The next meeting of the SIG: ULD&AA will take place online on Friday 17th September 2021 from 13:30 - 16:00 hrs. Here's a brief outline of the programme...

1.30 – 2.00 pm Lightning Talks (research and case studies)
2.00 – 2.45 pm Discussion with NCARDAS about reporting of congenital statistics
2.45 – 3.00 pm BREAK
3.00 – 3.15 pm Follow-up from guidelines’ discussions in last meeting (read the Full Report here)
3.15 – 3.30 pm Updates including information on TIPS and any other business
3.30 – 4.00 pm Educational talk (topic currently TBC)

Click here for full information and to register attendance