Pelican OReCO Workshops

Previous Pelican workshops have helped to refine treatment and improve outcomes and the principles and concepts of these workshops have been replicated in part, or in whole, in many parts of the world.

The OReCO national education programme will see 19 one-day workshops delivered from January 2024 to December 2026. The workshops will be funded by charitable resources and there will be no charge for delegate attendance.

 

Year Region Date Location Status
2024 Wessex 24 January Basingstoke Completed
South Wales 11 March Newport Completed
London 1 2 May London Completed
North Wales 19 July Conwy Completed
Scotland 1 11 September Edinburgh Completed
Oxfordshire 7 November Oxford Completed
2025 Trent 30 January Nottingham Completed
Yorkshire 13 March York Completed
London 2 8 May London Completed
Republic of Ireland 2 September Dublin Completed
Northern Ireland 4 September Belfast Completed
Scotland 2 8 October Glasgow Completed
South West 6 November Bristol Completed
2026 West Midlands 21 January Birmingham Completed
North West 10 March Manchester Completed
London 3 20 May London Completed
East Anglia 23 June Cambridge Completed
Northern 17 September Newcastle Completed
Mersey 18 November Liverpool

Workshop Overview

Northern Chapter :  17th September 2026 : Newcastle

In total 62 clinicians attended the OReCO Northern workshop from 11 hospitals across the region.

  • Great to meet others but listen to what other teams do with the same patient group
  • Discussions at the MDT will be more productive holistic and efficient
  • Excellent opportunity to meet up from with other nurses specialists
  • Better scope of knowledge and thoughts about how MDT can be more productive
  • Good to network with people from across the region

East Anglia Chapter :  23rd June 2026 : Cambridge

In total 85 clinicians attended the OReCO East Anglia workshop from 15 hospitals across the region.

  • Please continue these workshops. This has been so useful
  • Share learning from this meeting to enhance discussion about how we can improve MDT
  • Excellent range of talks and expert speake

London (3) Chapter :  20th May 2026 : London

In total 130 clinicians attended the OReCO London workshop from 25 hospitals across the region.

  •  Please continue these workshops. This has been so useful
  • Share learning from this meeting to enhance discussion about how we can improve MDT
  • Excellent range of talks and expert speakers

North West Chapter :  10th March 2026 : Manchester

In total 81 clinicians attended the OReCO Northwest workshop from 13 hospitals across the region.

  •   Feel better equipped to counsel assess and support patients
  • We have attended today as an MDT Team, so this will enable us to discuss with the rest of the team Low Rectal Cancer and its management
  • Really reinforced the knowledge / constant evolving understanding. Also great to see colleagues and share interests
  • Very helpful for pathologists to be up to date with the latest management on rectal cancer and with what would be most helpful for the surgeons from our reports.
  • These workshops are invaluable to the colorectal cancer team

West Midlands Chapter :  21st January 2026 : Birmingham

In total 109 clinicians attended the OReCO West Midlands workshop from 15 hospitals across the region.

  •   Gathering updates on recent advancement and learning from practice across the region was enlightening.
  • Understanding that regionally people doing different treatments as evidence not avoidable.
  • I shall apply the learnings in my daily clinical practice – reporting, MDT.
  • Clear presentations without too many graphs / charts but making good statements that deliver the message concisely.
  • Conveying the shared knowledge to be practically implemented in MDT meetings.

Southwest Chapter : 6th November 2025 : Bristol

In total, 91 clinicians attended the OReCO Southwest workshop from 17 hospitals across the region.

  • The open approach to understanding the variability of practice was reassuring.
  • To understand that there is a theme of challenges faced and shared by other MDTs.
  • I am encouraged to push more for the changes needed to modernise our practice.
  • Very good discussion. Very good speeches/chair and great expertise

Scotland (2) Chapter : 8th October 2025 : Glasgow

In total, 60 clinicians attended the OReCO Scotland (2) workshop from 15 hospitals across the region.

  •  I think it was very useful to see that the challenges faced in our MDT is common to others. A good summary reminder of different treatment options.
  • Given a focus again on some of the increasing difficulties in MDT discussions and decisions.
  • Think about SPECC as a separate MDT in order to have time to discuss.

Northern Ireland Chapter : 4th September 2025

In total, 52 clinicians attended the OReCO Republic of Ireland workshop from 7 hospitals across the region.

  •   Ensure to explore all avenues before deciding upon a particular modality of treatment. Ensure that we inform patients of high likeliness that they could experience LARS.
  • All the talks were very enjoyable, informative and helpful to our practise. I particularly enjoyed the organ preservation section and the talk about the future for rectal cancer.
  • Provide opportunity/motivation to try and standardise neoadjuvant options across trusts.
  • Improve awareness of Medical Decision Making (MDM) for rectal cancer and understanding of variation in practice.
  • It will significantly impact our practice for the better.
  • I am considering making some changes in how the MDM run, splitting into colon cancer, rectal cancer & SPECC categories.

Republic of Ireland Chapter : 2nd September 2025

In total, 88 clinicians attended the OReCO Republic of Ireland workshop from 14 hospitals across the region.

  •   Really interesting as a trainee to get an overview of the controversial areas of rectal cancer and the lack of national consensus currently.
  • The different opinions on optimal management of certain rectal cancers highlights the difficult conundrums in decision making in practice.
  • Lots of topics for our MDT to discuss. Review of evidence and discussion refreshed understanding of challenges in management of rectal cancer.
  • It reinforces the way I make my decision making in rectal cancer management and gives me confidence that I am within appropriate parameters of practice.
  • Thanks for a very well organised study day with top class speakers and great forum for sharing and learning.

London (2) Chapter : 8 May 2025 : London

In total, 123 clinicians attended the OReCO London (2) workshop from 29 hospitals across the region.

  •   Very interesting discussions regarding organ preservation in early rectal cancers and management of complex rectal cancers. LARS topic was excellent.
  • Good update and discussion of new concepts and techniques. Interesting case discussion on complex management issues. Thank you.
  • It validates our practice having a dedicated rectal cancer MDT and dedicated rectal cancer surgeons.
  • It surely will guide me to detect early complications and risks and will help to address/signpost patients to available services.

Yorkshire Chapter: 13 March 2025: York

In total, 94 clinicians attended the OReCO Yorkshire workshop from 16 hospitals across the region.

  •   This workshop has given me confidence to lessen the importance of nodal status.
  • I enjoyed all sessions and gained more knowledge in organ preservation. Acknowledged lack of knowledge and support for patients with LARS.
  • I think the surgeons will have a better insight into the challenges of TNT and organ preservation after this. I think we will have better debate about the pros and cons.
  • Will push for key information from Radiology more and ensure a better understanding of patient information.

Trent Chapter: 30 January 2025: Nottingham

In total, 51 clinicians attended the OReCO Trent workshop from 4 hospitals across the region.

  •   Interesting changes afoot. It is a great opportunity to see how things have progressed / will progress in the treatment of colorectal cancer.
  • It has given me more confidence in that we all doing our best for better outcomes.
  • Enhancing my knowledge will allow a greater knowledge to pass onto my patients.
  • Useful for understanding patient options and informed consenting. Clear focus on MDT working and teamwork.

Oxford Chapter : 7 November 2024 : Oxford

In total, 48 clinicians attended the OReCO Oxford workshop from 4 hospitals across the region.

  •  Broad range of topics – particularly useful to hear about rationale for neoadjuvant treatment decisions.
  • It allowed me to recognise that lymph nodes in isolation are not as prognostically important as once thought.
  • Lots of useful tips. Highlighting importance of patient choice e.g. with operation choice, risk of LARS etc.

 

Scotland Chapter : 11 September 2024 : Edinburgh

In total, 62 clinicians attended the OReCO Scotland workshop from 17 hospitals across the region.

  •   It has been good for team building in our MDT and we are thinking of returning to face-to-face MDT meetings rather than using teams.
  • Motivates us to continue to develop our current service to benefit the patients. Widened knowledge particularly on oncological aspects of treatment of rectal cancer.
  • As a pathologist, better understanding of the implications of my reports and importance of MDT discussions.

North Wales Chapter : 19 July 2024 : Conwy

In total, 41 clinicians attended the OReCO North Wales workshop from 3 hospitals across the region.

  •   The importance of different clinical options relating to treatment options and the need to discuss these with patients. Good discussions after each presentation
  • As a colorectal nurse I can definitely use the LARS templates and Q&A.
  • Provided me with more insight into rectal cancer treatments, complications & risks of surgery & the impact on patient’s quality of life

London Chapter : 2 May 2024 : London

In total, 146 clinicians attended the OReCO London workshop from 26 hospitals across the region.

  • It will greatly impact our views in discussing rectal cancers in MDT and to patients.
  • We need the things that have been discussed in this meeting formalised and distributed. This information is imperative to the good functioning of our MDT’s.
  • Feel better informed about making decisions, although areas of uncertainty remain for all, I feel better informed of known unknowns.

South Wales Chapter : 11 March 2024 : Newport

In total, 53 clinicians attended the OReCO South Wales  workshop from 9 hospitals across the region.

  • Greater understanding of all the issues that need consideration. Better appreciation for issues important to other specialists in MDT
  • Discussion around the cases were really interesting and useful
  • Functional bowel – post TME most valuable as this is the biggest factor that has the most patient impact post-surgery

Wessex Chapter : 24th January 2024 : Basingstoke

In total, 48 clinicians attended the OReCO Wessex workshop from 7 hospitals across the region.

  •  Really valuable to discuss difficult cases and see the variation in opinion. Good to meet with local colleagues as we don’t do this enough.
  • Expert discussion of the problems we see routinely and don’t have answers to.
  • All very informative. Enjoyed the MDT and interactive discussions.

 

If you would like to hear more about Pelican OReCO and how you can support this programme please contact Jane Staff: j.staff@pelicancancer.org