College publications, specifically Surgical News and the annual report, will now be digital only with no more printing of the pocket diaries.

Surgical News, the College’s bi-monthly publication now has a digital presence with the first online version published in April 2023 in a custom designed microsite: surgeons.org/surgicalnews

The March-April issue of Surgical News will be the last print version. This is in-line with the previous Council decision to transition the ANZ Journal of Surgery to a fully online offering in January 2022 and was decided in an extraordinary Council meeting held in late March. Council reviewed the work of the College to make sure the focus was on core activities and cost savings in the context of challenging economic conditions that have negatively impacted operations.

Council also decided to stop the printing of diaries and the annual report. The print numbers for these publications have been declining steadily over the last five years.

We currently print about 200 diaries and 100 copies of the annual report. This is expensive and not an efficient use of resources. The annual report is available online on the RACS website. These measures are in line with the RACS strategy of ‘Leading a sustainable future for surgery’ as it supports a sustainable College by making efficient use of resources and minimising costs.

Surgical News will continue to be published six times per year with an email alert informing you when the issue has been published online. We will also retain our focus of publishing interesting and engaging stories about surgeons and welcome your valuable contributions. The magazine started off as a simple newsletter from the president to Fellows. It then became a journal called RACS Bulletin in 1980, which was published three times per year in a black and white format.

Surgical News started in 2002 with 10 issues published per year. In 2019, it transitioned to six issues published per year.

There is a growing expectation that as the world gets more digital, so should many offerings. An increasing number of publications are switching exclusively to a digital only format. 

Digital publications provide instant access to content and a better user experience as they can be more interactive. The digital format will give us the opportunity to add more engaging content in the form of audio, video, quick polls, weblinks and other interactive elements.