Content on this page is intended for both Trainees and Trainers and is produced by RCEM’s Training Standards Committee.
Content on this page is produced by RCEM’s Training Standards Committee (TSC). TSC has responsibility for translating the Royal College’s aims for specialty training in EM into working systems throughout the UK.
Promoting Excellence
Underpinning RCEM’s training standards is Promoting Excellence in Emergency Medicine Training This document provides recommendations which outline RCEM’s approach to improving its standards for medical education and training.
Fairer Training Cultures
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is committed to fairer training cultures for all. As part of this commitment the Training Standards Committee (TSC) Quality Lead and Head of Training have reviewed the ARCP outcome data for EM trainees for the time period April 2023 – April 2024. The ARCP outcomes have been reviewed against self-reported demographic data on protected characteristics. We have focused on intersectionality rather than singular protected characteristics to ensure a more meaningful review of the data.
The college is sharing this early initial data recognising that its contents indicate that we have more work to do to create a fairer training culture for all. Following the publication of this report the College will progress work on more cross-sectional analysis of this data, as well as comparisons to Exam performance.
RCEM is committed to supporting all our members and ensuring the highest standard of patient care through ongoing education and training.
ARCP Outcomes broken down by characteristics
The findings of this report highlight that while there is a statistically significant but weak relationship between ARCP outcomes and trainee characteristics across gender, ethnicity, PMQ, and English as a first language, any disparity is unacceptable. As a College, we are committed to playing our part in reducing these differences to zero. We will continue to foster a fair and inclusive training culture.
Romana Moss, Director of Education RCEM
The first step in solving a problem is to describe it accurately. This is a welcome development from RCEM, which shows courage to examine and address structural inequalities found throughout society but expressed in Emergency Medicine. The commitment to a truly equitable training culture and environment is a process which will reveal more challenges as it is examined more closely. This is not easy work to do but will result in true growth and a fairer training culture for all involved in the process.
Dr David Chung, Co-Chair of the RCEM EDI Committee
Training Standards Committee Guidance
Guidance on duration of training for Postgraduate Doctors in Training HoSs / TPDs / Specialty Tutors / ES’s can be accessed here: RCEM TSC Guidance for training faculties final update January 2024 (PDF)
A framework for Paediatric Medicine Training and assessment in ST4-6 (PDF)
– Educational Development Time for EM trainees
Educational Development Time for EM trainees
The Committee has produced revised recommendations for Educational Development Time
Counting clinical time for EM trainees on OOPR (including higher degree/research fellows)
See the Training Standards Committee recommendations.
Specialty Tutor (was “College Tutor”)
The Committee advises that:
The National Association of Clinical Tutors (NACT) has produced a Specialty/College Tutor job description as an appendix to their “Faculty Guide: the Workplace Environment in Postgraduate Medical Training October 2013”.
Counting clinical time for EM trainees on OOPR (including higher degree/research fellows)
Training Standards Committee recommendations can be found here.
Level of Evidence form for CESR-CP
The Committee has produced a Level of Evidence form as a guide for those wishing to enter EM training at a level higher than ST/CT1 by having non-GMC-approved training and experience counted on the CESR-CP (Combined Programme) route. Evidence at levels 1 and 2 is required at recruitment interview.
Bringing Forward CCT
The committee has released its position on reducing training time for EM Trainees.
See the document: TSC position on early CCT
The role of the External Advisor includes:
Most panels are held virtually, and participation is typically expected once or twice per year. All External Advisors must be up to date with equality and diversity training and have current ARCP and educational supervisor experience.
Interested in taking part?
Please sign up here: Display event – ARCP Externality Booking
The Training Standards Committee have produced the following Guidance on Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) requirements:
A how to guide has been created for the QI Assessment. This includes information on what the QIAT is, information on SLO11 and how to generate/complete QIAT forms.
This guidance has been created for 2022 specifically, as it includes information on regional panel sign-off for ST6 trainees who remain on the 2015 curriculum. Going forward ST6s will not require panel sign off and this guidance will be updated accordingly once the first groups of trainees on the 2021 curriculum reach ST6.
See the QI Assessment How To Guide.
Promoting Excellence in Emergency Medicine Training provides recommendations which outline the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) approach to improving its standards for medical education and training.
The College has published its annual quality report
The AQR brings clarity to the current state of training in Emergency Medicine. There remain significant concerns facing the workforce but the launch of the new curriculum, embedding leadership and clinical education show tangible evidence of change.
The college expresses its thanks to Dr Tamsin Dunn for compiling the data and writing the final report. The AQR provides a valuable set of recommendations for our Training Standards Committee to take forward into the next academic year.
The recommendations in the document below outline the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) approach to improving its standards for medical education and training. As outlined in the General Medical Council (GMC) Quality Improvement Framework, 2010, the GMC quality assures all medical education and training. To enable the delivery of the highest quality training in Emergency Medicine RCEM has an ongoing role and responsibility to set standards, monitor and feedback.
Promoting Excellence in Emergency Medicine Training provides recommendations which outline the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) approach to improving its standards for medical education and training.
Highlighting the need to address issues of staff retention and burnout within Emergency Departments.
The need to address the issues of staff retention and burnout within Emergency Departments has previously been highlighted by the 2017 ‘Securing the Future Workforce for Emergency Departments in England strategy’.
It was from this strategy and acknowledged link between training and staff retention/wellbeing, that Health Education England (HEE) began the Clinical Educators in Emergency Departments (CEED) pilot. The initiative focused on the development of a new Clinical Educator role within the ED, which would provide protected Multidisciplinary (MD) training time on the shop floor, away from existing clinical duties.
In October 2018, HEE began the CEED pilot in 54 Acute Trust ED across England, who were identified as being the most challenged across England using a series of metrics including the GMC survey, and ACCS/HST survey.
The allocation of funding for the pilot was determined by Heads of Schools of Emergency Medicine and the RCEM Training Standards Committee [TSC] who conducted a review of the GMC Survey 2017 and local knowledge to allocate Programme Activities [PA] to the lowest third performing and struggling sites nationally.
Aims of the CEED Evaluation project:
The evaluation was commissioned by HEE and was led by Aston University with the RCEM Evaluation Team supporting the evaluation and dissemination of the finding. This study was granted Portfolio status by NIHR indicating it’s rigor.
Also of note is guidance developed to support the setup of the CEED role.
The CEED pilot will end in March 2021.
