Hello and welcome to the first of a regular series of blog posts detailing the upcoming activities of the IET's Healthcare Technologies Network.



The 2013-14 session features a packed calendar, with the network hosting or co-sponsoring an even greater range of events than in previous years. Regular events such as this week's Annual Healthcare Technologies Lecture and Awards are being augmented with meetings on topics as diverse, yet relevant to the community, as: Appropriate Healthcare Technology, Medical Devices in China and Cyber Security.



We are also embarking on a program of collaboration with the IMechE's Biomedical Engineering Association which will kick off with a lecture next April. The speaker will be announced soon, but promises to be someone with a wealth of experience and influence in the field with a reputation for speaking frankly, entertainingly and with authority on engineering and healthcare.



2014 will also see the launch of a new journal and we are at the early stages of developing new standards that will support both new and more established technologies that are used by our members.



As a committee, we are determined to increase our community engagement in the coming months and years. To this end we have already added two highly experienced and motivated members to the committee based in Canada and America respectively and intend to add more international influence as suitably qualified candidates present themselves. We will also be adding a significant amount of content to this site, including video and text coverage and we welcome your feedback and input via this site.



With a generous budget for 2013-14, a skilled team of volunteers and a varied and exciting program I hope that you will be able to participate fully in the network's activities and let us know how we can better serve your needs as IET members and healthcare technologists. Please follow up in the comments with any thoughts you may have.



Until next month!



Dr Peter Bannister, CEng

Chairman, Healthcare Technologies Network

prbannister@theiet.org