European Anaesthesia Amalgamates

The Interim Board of Directors of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) announces the completion of the amalgamation of the former European Society of Anaesthesiologists (ESA), the former European Academy of Anaesthesiology (EAA) and the former Confederation of European National Societies of Anaesthesiologists (CENSA) into the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA). For the first time, a single body exists to represent European anaesthesiologists, and to promote the highest clinical and scientific standards of anaesthesia in Europe.

An Interim Board of Directors, Interim Council and the General Assembly will govern the Society in 2005. Later in 2005, a new Board of Directors and new Council will be elected to take office in 2006, replacing the Interim bodies.

Active members of the Society from those European countries with at least 25 Active members elect one representative per country to the Council. Over 30 countries are represented on the Council. This body elects the Board of Directors. The General Assembly convenes at the time of the ESA Annual Meeting. The Society’s current membership is in excess of 5,000 individual members and as a result of the new Society Membership category, the ESA has the potential to soon represent more than 60,000 European anaesthesiologists.

Although predominantly a European Society, the ESA membership base includes Affiliate Members, without voting rights, from many countries around the world.

The Society has a permanent headquarters (HQ) in Brussels, which houses the Executive Director and seven members of staff. The HQ provides offices and meeting facilities for the Society in the heart of Brussels.

The aims of the Society are:

To promote exchange of information between anaesthesiologists in European countries (as defined by the World Health Organisation),

To disseminate information in regard to anaesthesiology,

To raise the standards of the speciality by fostering and encouraging education, research, scientific progress and exchange of information,

To promote and protect the interest of its members,

To promote improvements in safety and quality of care of patients undergoing anaesthesia by facilitating and harmonising activities of national and international societies of anaesthesiologists in European countries (as defined by the World Health Organisation).

The activities of the Society

The ESA organises Annual Meetings throughout Europe under the banner “Euroanaesthesia”. The meetings are attended by members and non-members (in excess of 5,000 participants) and represent more than 65 countries from around the world. The ESA Annual Meetings are accredited by the American Medical Association and the Union of European Medical Specialists (U.E.M.S.) for continuing medical education (CME) credits.

The Society’s Annual meeting and Newsletter serve to disseminate information in regard to anaesthesiology and promote exchange of information between European anaesthesiologists.

The European Journal of Anaesthesiology (EJA), currently the official journal of the ESA, and the Society’s research grants, fellowships and awards programmes serve to foster and encourage education, research and scientific progress, and thereby raise the educational and scientific standards of the specialty of anaesthesiology.

The ESA organises the examination for the European Diploma in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care that serves to raise the standards of the speciality.

The links of the Society to the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and the European Board of Anaesthesiology (EBA) serve to promote and protect the interests of its members.

The Hospital visitation programme serves to promote improvements in safety and quality of care of patients undergoing anaesthesia.

Through its National Anaesthesia Society Committee (NASC) the ESA is linked to the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) and facilitates the activities and harmonisation of national and international societies of anaesthesiologists in European Countries.

Signed,

Hans-Joachim Priebe
President

February 28, 2005