Home > Get Involved > BIA eLists

The BIA email discussion lists are open to both members and non-members. It is intended for microbiologists and infectious disease clinicians to discuss all aspects of the practice of clinical microbiology and infection, including management, health policy, and employment issues.

There are currently two lists. A special interest list for COVID-19 related discussions, and a General list for more general infection related discussions.

They are open to anyone with a genuine interest in infection including infection control nurses.

Joining the Lists

To join either list, please send an email to admin@britishinfection.org The purpose of this is to ensure that only bona-fide persons can join the lists and so enable the lists to avoid spam. The request will be emailed to the list managers who will decide whether or not to approve your joining the lists. You will then be joined to the lists (or informed why this was not possible).

How it Works

Having joined the list(s), you use it as follows:

• to post a message to one of the lists, send an email to covid@discussions.britishinfection.org or general@discussions.britishinfection.org
• your message is then sent by email to everyone else on that list
• any replies to your message are sent to everyone else on the list
• to reply to a message, simply reply to the email in the usual way

Leaving the List

To leave the list, send an email to admin@britishinfection.org with the words 'unsubscribe e-list' (without quotation marks) in the body of the email, or there is an option to unsubcribe at the bottom of the groups' emails.

Professional use

This lists are not moderated. Once you send your email, it will be sent to all members of the list – there are over 800 recipients. Be careful what you write. It is all too easy in the heat of the moment to send something you regret the second it has gone. Do not send anything you would not send to a group of colleagues at work.  If you are happy for the information to be shared, please state this in your message. You can always send personal email to someone on the list rather than posting messages to the entire list. The lists are a valuable means of seeking the opinions of colleagues regarding complex clinical problems - however do not reveal any information that risks compromising patient confidentiality.

Commercial email (spam)

We do not tolerate unsolicited commercial email (spam). List members who advertise their services or products will be politely asked to desist. Failure to do so will result in removal from the list.

Please do make use of the list. We strongly encourage members and others to join and contribute to it, as a means of exchanging information and fostering a sense of community.

If you have any comments or questions, please send them to Admin@britishinfection.org.

Terms and Conditions

By subscribing to the BIA e-list, you agree to the following Terms and Conditions.

1. BIA email lists are provided as a service and a resource to the list members by BIA.
2. The purpose of this list is to provide a forum for discussion of matters relating to the management of infections in clinical practice.
3. You will not use the BIA lists for any commercial purposes or commercially exploit any of the information propagated by the BIA lists.
4. You will not use the lists to send "Spam"/ "Junk Mail" or any harmful content such as viruses and malware to other subscribers.
5. You will not post any material that might be considered unlawful, fraudulent, harassing, defamatory, abusive, harmful, vulgar, obscene, profane, threatening, racially, sexually or otherwise discriminatory, offensive or inaccurate.
6. You will identify yourself as the source of any submissions you make. You alone are responsible for the content you submit and any consequences.
7. BIA is not responsible for the accuracy of information submitted to the BIA lists. Information submitted is the opinion of the posting subscribers themselves and may not represent the official position of the association.

 

Complaints

If a list member believes a post breaches the above terms and conditions they can choose to report it to Admin@britishinfection.org

In the first instance submissions will be screened by the Communications Secretary. Where terms have been breached they will be reviewed by a committee convened as required for this purpose. The committee will aim to handle any review fairly, sensitively, and in confidence.

The committee will consist of:

• The communications secretary
• The secretary or president
• A minimum of 2 other principle officers of the Association

Where the nature of the possible breach is best addressed with advice from those with expertise not found within the principle officers, external advice will be sought.

The committee will review the post concerned and the submissions of those reporting it. They will decide whether it breaches the terms and conditions and causes offense beyond that reasonably expected in a professional discourse.

Where posts are found to breach the conditions, the user concerned will be warned, or in the event of repeated breaches, removed from the eList system. In certain circumstances a breach may be reported to other bodies.