Posted on Jul 22, 2021
Q: Name, qualifications and awards
A: Professor Nick Bishop,
MB ChB MRCP(UK) MD FRCPCH, ECTS Boonen Award 2017, ICCBH Slemenda Award 2019
Q: Board Role designation
A: Trustee
Q: Your link to the BBS
A: Paediatrician leading an OI service
Q: Have you ever been a Trustee for any other charity or similar? How many years have you been serving on the Board for BBS?
A: I’ve been a Trustee at BBS for 5 years (I think!). I’ve also been a trustee of the Children’s Hospital Charity in Sheffield for 16 years.
Q: Was there a moment when you decided that you wanted to support the work of the Brittle Bone Society or perhaps you were co-opted?
A: Really started to get fully involved with BBS in the mid 2000’s as our service in Sheffield grew and developed
Q: What do you enjoy most about serving on the Board?
A: Feeling that we are all working towards a common aim of improving the lives and health of those who have OI
Q: What is the biggest challenge in your role?
A: Making sure I make time to do the role well
Q: How important do you see the role of the Brittle Bone Society in helping to raise awareness around OI? And including participation around research or anything else you feel pertinent.
A: This is a really important role – the BBS is seen as very strong in terms of advocating for those with OI through the broad range of activities that it undertakes, especially in relation to making sure that those in positions of responsibility within the health service are aware and engaged with the communities needs and priorities. It would be great to do more in the research area, but that depends on funds being available -there is no shortage of research ideas!
Q: How would you like to see provisions for healthcare change in the future for people with rare bone conditions and specifically for OI?
A: We should continue to press for a rare bone disease network that covers both adults and children; children’s services are good, but they can always be better.
Q: Is there anything coming out of the Covid Pandemic that you feel will be learned positively to improve the quality of life for people with OI and their families?
A: The ease of setting up virtual meetings can really help with getting people’s views and input around research ideas – instead of having all the hassle of travelling and setting up meeting rooms etc, we can do a lot on line. It’s been fun doing that with a young adult group recently, even though the study didn’t get funded
Q: Do you have any unusual hobbies or interests that you would like to tell us about?
A: I’m trying to learn to use a scythe. Unfortunately I wasn’t very careful when sharpening it recently…