British Pain Society Relaunches Annual Meeting with New Organiser and Format

British Pain Society (BPS) is transforming how it delivers its flagship Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), introducing a new Professional Congress Organiser — In Conference — for the 59th ASM taking place from 21–23 April 2026 at the Harrogate Convention Centre. The change signals a significant development in how the Society manages and delivers its premier event.

The 2026 Scientific Programme has been redesigned to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of pain medicine, with a greater emphasis on clinical dialogue and interactive engagement. The programme includes plenary lectures, topical debates, keynote talks, parallel workshops, and poster sessions across 22 thematic areas — all abstracts being published in the British Journal of Pain.

A distinguished roster of international speakers features Professor Karen Davis from the University of Toronto, who will deliver the Patrick Wall Lecture; Professor Lorenzo Fabrizi from UCL; Professor Tim Hales from the University of Dundee; Professor Frank Huygen from Erasmus MC University Hospital; and Professor Brian McGuire from NUI Galway.

The BPS is also actively expanding its digital education offer, with a series of new webinars for 2026 covering pain research funding, childhood stress and its clinical implications, mindfulness-based approaches for chronic conditions including long-COVID syndrome, and strategies for integrating self-management support into clinical services.

The society is also emphasising its broad-based membership, offering a £25 rate for students, early career professionals, and retirees.