This issue of Frontline Gastroenterology gives an overview of the rapidly developing field of pancreaticobiliary medicine in the UK. Currently, most hospitals in this country do not have gastroenterologists with a subspeciality interest in this area and there is not yet a defined curriculum in the field for training. These deficiencies now need to be addressed urgently to effectively manage the many patients who are increasingly being identified and diagnosed with pancreaticobiliary diseases. A career in pancreaticobiliary medicine is attractive to gastroenterologists, as it combines a range of skills to manage complex benign and malignant disease, including diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic interventions and working in multidisciplinary teams. Over the last few years, evidence for endoscopic treatment in complex pancreaticobiliary conditions has been accumulating and, thanks to technological advances in equipment, endoscopy is complementing and competing with traditional surgical and radiological approaches. In several areas, such as treating patients with pancreatic cancer, the role of the physician can be expanded. Furthermore, the opportunities for service development and research are significant.
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