
In Memoriam: Professor Michael W L Gear
Professor Michael W L Gear, former Consultant Surgeon in Gloucester, died peacefully at home on Monday 29th January 2024 at the age of 90. He had been the foremost and most eminent Consultant Surgeon of his generation in Gloucestershire. He was a pioneer of endoscopy in Gloucestershire and was also in the vanguard of the development of laparoscopic surgery in the UK. He performed the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the county in 1991.
Mike’s skills were not only in the development of surgery, but he also had considerable administrative and academic prowess. Indeed he was central to the development of the collaboration of Gloucestershire Hospitals with Cranfield University, which bestowed a Professorship upon him in 1996. He had major involvement in many national institutions and Societies, especially the BSG, and was the Vice-President for Endoscopy of the BSG in 1993-5.
Professor Neil A Shepherd, Professor of Gastrointestinal Pathology, Gloucestershire Cellular Pathology Laboratory, Cheltenham, Glos, GL53 7AN; [email protected]
Mike Gear at the helm in his yacht on Loch Sunart, Scotland.

Help Shape the Future of GI Physiology – National Data Collection Open (May–June 2025)
The second National Data Collection for GI Physiology services will run from Monday 12th May to Friday 6th June 2025.

BSG Inflammatory Bowel Disease Surveillance Guideline 2025
Our newly updated guideline for colorectal surveillance for patients with IBD is now available, providing a comprehensive road map for evidence-based, expert management of the whole pathway to try and prevent or detect bowel cancer early for this higher risk patient group.

In Memoriam: Dr Colin Rodgers
It is with great sadness that the Society has learned of the death of Dr Colin Rodgers.