Education/Events

BILAG Advanced Course in SLE (2026)

The inaugural BILAG Advanced Course on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, held in York on 30-31 January 2026 at The Milner Hotel, marked an important milestone for UK lupus education. Organised by Dr Lucy Marie Carter (Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), with the support of the BILAG committee including Professor Ed Vital, Dr Muhammad Shipa, and Dr Chris Wincup, the course brought together a distinguished national faculty to translate the updated 2026 BSR whole life-course SLE guideline into practical clinical action.

The programme opened with patient perspectives from Caroline Olshewsky and Debbie Kinsey (Lupus UK), followed by a guideline overview from Dr Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof. A pre-dinner oration from Professor David Isenberg set the tone, reflecting on the evolution of lupus research and collaborative progress. Day two delivered focused, organ-based and systems-based expertise: Dr Phil Laws on cutaneous lupus, Professor Ed Vital on lupus nephritis, Professor David Hunt on neuropsychiatric lupus, and Dr Antony Psarras on lupus immunology. The multidisciplinary ethos was reinforced by Dr Peter Lanyon's Lupus MDT session, alongside specialist contributions from Professor Ian Giles on pregnancy, Dr Eve Smith on juvenile-onset disease and transition, Dr Rachel Tattersall on HLH, and Dr Tina Dutt on TTP.

Across lectures and interactive MDT workshops, the consistent message was clear: modern lupus care demands rigorous disease activity assessment, treat-to-target strategies, steroid minimisation, early escalation for organ-threatening disease, and coordinated multidisciplinary infrastructure. The course exemplified BILAG's ongoing commitment to embedding evidence into everyday practice, strengthening UK lupus services, and improving equitable, life-course outcomes for people living with SLE.