British Medical Ultrasound Conference in Cheltenham: what to expect
Submitted by Ruth Reeve, chair, BMUS Scientific Organising Committee.
The BMUS 57th Annual Scientific Meeting, Ultrasound 2026, is coming to Cheltenham Racecourse from 8th to 10th December, 2026. This year’s conference promises to be a must-attend event for medical ultrasound professionals, with a packed program of keynote lectures, proffered talks and posters, practical workshops, and our fantastic technical exhibition.
Keynote speakers
The keynote lecture for the Donald MacVicar Brown Award will be given by BMUS past president, Professor Rhodri Evans. Professor Evans is a long-standing BMUS member; he built a prominent career in diagnostic imaging, with a renowned subspeciality in head and neck ultrasound imaging. He will give his much-anticipated lecture at the end of the first day of the conference.
We are also delighted to welcome Jo McCann, past president of ASUM, as an invited speaker at this year’s conference. Travelling from New Zealand, McCann will bring her extensive experience and expertise to the programme, sharing valuable insights and perspectives throughout the three days of the conference.
Program highlights
The conference program offers a diverse and exciting range of sessions exploring multiple difference clinical applications of ultrasound, alongside specialist areas of practice and key professional themes. Here are just a few of the highlights:
Day 1:
The conference gets off to an exciting start with Plenary 1 focusing on Obstetrics, including sessions exploring the imaging of the fetal brain. Plenary 2 turns to MSK, with talks covering ultrasound of the hip, navigating the groin and finding the Stener.
Plenary 3 brings together a diverse mix of topics, beginning with Professional Issues, followed by the ever-popular Ultrasound Pitch and a dedicated session exploring AI and its role in ultrasound.
Our Student, Trainee and Early Careers satellite session will explore advancing ultrasound through patient care and sonographer wellbeing. The day will conclude with the prestigious DMB Lecture, followed by our Welcome Drinks Reception, offering a great opportunity to connect with colleagues and celebrate the start of the conference.
For those with an interest in POCUS, SonoUK will also be hosting a full-day satellite session dedicated to point-of-care ultrasound.
Day 2:
Gynaecology takes centre stage in Plenary 1, with sessions covering acute pelvic pain, endometriosis and gynae-oncology.
Plenary 2 begins with two sessions exploring advanced head and neck ultrasound, before moving into two sessions dedicated to paediatric ultrasound.
In Plenary 3, the day starts with the highly competitive Young Investigator session, followed by the industry-led AXREM session and two sessions dedicated to supporting and developing our practice educators.
For those looking to get their physics fix, Plenary 4 has plenty to offer, with a medical physics focus in the morning, followed by our popular ThUNDDAR sessions.
Day 3:
The final day begins with a full programme of General Medical Ultrasound in Plenary 1. Plenary 2 focuses on professional issues and features the much-anticipated BMUS Debate, with the motion:
“This house believes that incidental findings do more harm than good for the patient and healthcare in the NHS.”
Plenary 3 turns the focus to breast and vascular ultrasound, before Plenary 4 explores health, wellbeing and professional development. Sessions include Building Resilience in Modern Healthcare and Advanced Communication Skills, providing a valuable opportunity to reflect on both personal wellbeing and effective communication in clinical practice.
Across all three days, the programme offers a rich mix of clinical expertise, professional development, innovation and opportunities to share ideas with colleagues from across the ultrasound community.
Practical workshops
We are excited to bring the delegates three full days of practical sessions to take part in.
- Day 1 practical sessions include a Perfecting Liver Imaging Workshop and a simulator session on endometriosis
- Day 2 offers two MSK sessions, a session focussing on bowel ultrasound imaging and another on interventional ultrasound.
- Day 3 practical sessions include the Tiny Tickers fetal heart masterclasses and an extra endometriosis session due to increasing popularity.
Technical exhibition
On top of our educational plenarys and practicals, we look forward to seeing our busy technical exhibition, where you can wander through the stands, chat with our friendly, knowledgeable industry colleagues, and try out all the latest equipment. This year we have Canon Medical Systems and MIS Healthcare as the gold sponsors of the meeting. I am sure you would all agree the exhibition is always a fun and informative space to visit and we are grateful for our industry partners for their continued support.
Winter ball
This year’s conference will hold the Annual BMUS Winter Ball and Awards Ceremony on the Wednesday evening at Cheltenham Town Hall, a magnificent, Grade II listed Edwardian building. This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate some wonderful achievements within the community as well as enjoying a fun evening with friends and colleagues.
Registration for the conference is now open and early bird rates are live until the end of September. To register, please visit the BMUS website.
We look forward to seeing you in Cheltenham.
This news story has been sponsored by the companies concerned and does not represent the views or opinions of RAD Magazine. More information about the event and technical exhibition will be made available on our dedicated BMUS conference page as it becomes available.
