Volunteering Opportunities

RCEM Scotland Board Vice Chair

Call for Nominations – Closing Date 22 November 2024

RCEM is looking for a new Scotland Board Vice Chair

Vice Chairs play a crucial and rewarding role in advocating for their nation and representing their members in the College and key decision-making. Vice Chairs provide leadership and support to the Vice President, acting as a voice for members in Scotland.

You will work closely with RCEM’s Policy and Communications teams, who will support you in your role to engage with Members as well as develop national networks and relationships with local policymakers and the media. Along with the Vice President, you will meet with policy makers to influence Scottish Government and NHS Scotland and make sure that Emergency Care is high on their agenda.

Your contribution as Vice Chair will strengthen the College’s ability to flag challenges faced by emergency departments in the nation and beyond, improving patient care and the working lives of members. You will meet 4 times a year with the rest of the RCEM Scotland Board.

Once the Vice President’s term is over, you can replace them in their role as chair of the board. Each term is 3 years.

Who can apply?

To be eligible to become a Vice Chair, you need to meet these requirements:

• A Member and Fellow of the College in good standing
• Employed in a current substantive consultant role in Scotland
• In good standing with your regulator with no limitations on practice
• Have a track record that will not negatively impact the College’s own reputation
• Interpersonal skills and able to build consensus with colleagues
• Experience ideally of facilitating or at least participating constructively in meetings
• Ability to listen and communicate clearly.

If you are a Fellow, work in a substantive consultant role in Scotland and you are interested in representing the nation, developing your career and your influencing skills then we would be delighted to hear from you.

What experience is needed?

No previous experience with the College is necessary – just an interest in representing your nation and a passion for Emergency Medicine. We are particularly keen to engage with those new to the College.

When will the position start?

The newly appointed Vice Chair will attend our board meeting in December 2024 to start the handover process. Circa early Spring 2025, you will replace the outgoing Vice Chair, and they will become the new Chair / Vice President.

Application Process

The application process is non-competitive. To apply, please complete a nomination form, with a personal statement (max 300 words) and signatures from two Fellows who are happy to support your application.

In the event that multiple candidates apply, a ballot of eligible national members will be conducted. In this instance we will share your statement with voting members.

Please fill out the Nomination form to apply, with signatures from two fellows. For more information read our guidance and FAQs.

If you are interested in the role or have any questions, please feel welcome to get in touch: freddie.stoker@rcem.ac.uk.

Frequently Asked Questions | Nomination Paper

East Midlands Regional Chair

Call for Nominations – Closing Date Friday 29 November 2024

RCEM is looking for a new East Midlands Regional Chair!

Regional Chairs play a crucial and rewarding role in advocating for their region and representing their members in the College and key decision-making. Chairs provide leadership and act as a voice and conduit for members.

You will work closely with RCEM’s Policy and Communications teams, who will support you in your role to engage with Members, develop regional networks and relationships with local policymakers and the media. Your contribution as East Midlands Regional Chair will strengthen the College’s ability to flag challenges faced by emergency departments in the region and beyond, improving patient care and the working lives of members.

Who can apply?

To be eligible to become a Regional Chair, you need to meet these requirements:

• A Member and Fellow of the College in good standing.
• Employed in a current substantive consultant role in the region.
• In good standing with your regulator with no limitations on practice.
• Have a track record that will not negatively impact the College’s own reputation.
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to build consensus with colleagues.
• Experience ideally of facilitating or at least participating constructively in meetings.
• Ability to listen and communicate clearly.

If you are a Fellow, work in a substantive consultant role in the East Midlands and you are interested in representing your region, developing your career and your influencing skills then we would be delighted to hear from you.

What experience is needed?

No previous experience with the College is necessary – just an interest in representing your region and a passion for Emergency Medicine. We are particularly keen to engage with those new to the College.

Application Process

The application process is non-competitive. To apply, please complete a nomination form, with a personal statement (max 300 words) and signatures from two Fellows who are happy to support your application.

In the event that multiple candidates apply, a ballot of eligible regional members will be conducted. In this instance we will share your statement with voting members.

For further information please see the job description, application guidance and FAQs. Please find here the Nomination form.

If you are interested in the role or have any questions, please feel welcome to get in touch with the Policy team at policy@rcem.ac.uk.

Applications Open for Regional Boards

We have an exciting opportunity for members to get involved in College work!

We are now recruiting members to join our new Regional Boards. We currently have regional Boards in the East of England, South Central, South East Coast, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber regions.

A Regional Board Member is an Associate Member, Member or Fellow* of the College who is appointed on behalf of the Council to the role.

The role includes these additional responsibilities.

• Act as a local point of contact for colleagues and peers on issues relating to the objectives of the College, including professional standards, clinical standards, research, education and CPD, training, policy, and other professional matters.
• Represent your localities, gathering information to inform the Regional Chair, RCEM Council and Officers, as well as to provide a mechanism for the flow of information, ideas, and documents from the College to colleagues and peers.
• Bring an understanding of the issues and successes in urgent and emergency care closer to the population we care for.
• Attend four regional board meetings a year and support the work of the Board.
• Engage with emails and information pertaining to the Board, College and speciality.
• Willing to support the work of the Regional Board and representing the membership in the Region at Board meetings.
• Support the Regional Chair in their activities and duties.

Who can get involved?

To be eligible to become a Regional Board Member you need to meet these requirements:

• Associate Member, Member or Fellow* of the College in good standing
• Be a UK registered doctor or health professional in good standing with your regulator with no limitations on practice and, where appropriate, a licence to practice
• Have a track record that will not negatively impact the College’s own reputation
• Employed in a current substantive post in the region on which you will serve on the Board in the UK or Republic of Ireland usually for at least one year
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to build consensus with colleagues.
• Experience of participating constructively in meetings.
• Ability to listen and communicate clearly.
• Time commitment is approximately 1-2 PAs per quarter.

If you work in a region where there is no Board, contact the Policy and Public Affairs team to discuss other ways to get involved.

What experience is needed?

No previous College experience is necessary – just an interest in representing your region and a passion for Emergency Medicine. We are particularly keen to engage with those new to the College.

How can I get involved?

To apply, please fill out an Expression of Interest form explaining why you would like to get involved in a Regional Board and send it to the email below.

For applications or further enquiries, please get in touch with our Policy team at policy@rcem.ac.uk.

RCEM Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee Co-chair x1 (Honorary Post)

The College is looking for a Co-Chair to join the Quality Assurance and Improvement (QA&I) Committee.

Job Description

Accountable to: Quality Cluster Lead, RCEM Council, RCEM Quality in Emergency Care Committee Chair and the RCEM Quality Manager.

Key working relationships: The Chair will work closely with the QA and I Co-Chair, the Quality Cluster Chair (RCEM Vice President), RCEM Council and RCEM Quality in Emergency Care Committee Chair. The role will also involve working closely with the RCEM Quality Manager and Team.

Role Purpose: As a Chair, your primary role will be to lead the development and implementation of clinical standards and QI tools aimed at enhancing the quality of care in Emergency Medicine. A fundamental part of the role is the managing the national Quality Improvement Programme (QIP), developing quality improvement initiatives and providing expert advice to key healthcare bodies. The role also involves maintaining relevant sections of the Royal College website and ensuring effective communication and collaboration with various stakeholders.

This role will be for three years, and is a Co-Chair role, potentially renewable for a further three years if applied for a second term.
This is an honorary post and, while no financial honorarium is offered for the postholder, the College will reimburse all post related expenses (e.g. travel to meetings).

Role responsibilities: In this role you will be expected to:

• Attend three committee meetings via video conference per year with one in-person meeting
• Chair fortnightly risk register meetings
• Work with the committee to deliver its objectives
• Represent the College at meetings of external organisations or work with committee member(s) for them represent the College
• Chair Committee teleconferences, coordinate QA and I Chair e-mail traffic or face-to-face meetings as necessary
• Co-ordinate the development of clinical standards and audit tools for the speciality
• Supervise the national QI programme
• Provide verbal and written reports to the Quality in Emergency Care Committee
• Regular communication with Chair of Quality in Emergency Care Committee and committee administrator
• Liaise with DOH, HCC and other relevant Royal Colleges
• Adhere to the RCEM Code of conduct
• Support and guide the QIP topic teams
• Work with the QI fellow

Committee remit:

• To develop clinical standards and improvement tools for measuring and improving the quality of care delivered by the speciality of Emergency Medicine
• To run the national quality improvement (QIP) programme of the Royal College and send the National report, as well as reports of the individual and comparative results to participating departments
• To advise the NHS, NICE, DOH, CQC, the Royal Colleges and other national bodies who have an interest in the quality of care in Emergency Departments
• To develop and maintain the RCEM Standards, Clinical Audit, and Quality Improvement sections of the Royal College website.

What can you expect from us?

The chance to:

• Influence Emergency Medicine policy and produce cutting edge new guidance
• Meet and collaborate with new consultants / Emergency Medicine staff with similar values, as well as multi-disciplinary colleagues in national pre-hospital care
• Become involved in the development of Emergency Medicine study days and presentations
• Represent RCEM at stakeholder events
• Support and guidance in the role from the RCEM Quality Team and cluster chair

What can we expect from you?

• Attend all Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee meetings (formal quarterly meetings with ad-hoc additional meetings as required. One of the quarterly meetings per annum can be face to face)
• To support the QIP topic teams where required
• Make decisions on behalf of the Committee and escalate any concerns to the QECC Chair or cluster lead
• Attend quarterly QECC meetings at RCEM
• Attend / nominate attendance at other meetings to represent the College
• Draft a bi-annual Committee work plan and report for RCEM Council

How to apply:

To apply for the position please send a single A4 page personal statement to Emily Lesnik by emailing quality@rcem.ac.uk. Please ensure your personal statement covers your relevant experience and how you meet the person specification below. The deadline for applications is 10am on Tuesday 3 December 2024.
Interviews will be conducted by the Quality in Emergency Care Committee Chair and the Quality Manager. Please note that interviews are likely to be carried out via video conference.

Person Specification

This role would suit a current Consultant in emergency medicine with a demonstrable interest and expertise in standards and audit, data analysis and management skills to improve healthcare.

Essential Practical Experience and Skills

• Current Consultant in Emergency Medicine, working in emergency medicine
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of Quality Improvement methods and techniques
• Familiarity with data analysis
• Experience in chairing committees or special interest groups

Desirable Practical Experience and Skills

• Demonstrable interest in big data and performance improvement
• Excellent knowledge of developments in the emergency medicine field
• Evidence of continuing personal development
• Publications in Quality Improvement

Personal Qualities

• Demonstrable interest and expertise in standards and audit
• Attention to detail
• Ability to multi-task and prioritise
• Self-motivated and innovative
• Ability to motivate others
• Good interpersonal skills
• A commitment to upholding the organisation’s values

Frequently Asked Questions

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RCEM Public Health Special Interest Group Chair (Honorary Post)

The College is looking for 1x member to join the Public Health Special Interest Group (SIG) as Chairperson.

Job Description

Accountable to: Quality Cluster Lead (RCEM Vice President), RCEM Council and RCEM Quality in Emergency Care Committee Chair.

Key working relationships: The Chair will work closely with the Quality In Emergency Care Committee Chair and other committee chairs within the Quality Cluster. The role will also involve working closely with the RCEM Quality Team.

Role Purpose: As a Chair, your primary role will be to lead the SIG working on the development and implementation of the workplan, and chairing Public Health meetings. The role also involves maintaining relevant sections of the Royal College website and ensuring effective communication and collaboration with various stakeholders.

This role will be for three years, potentially renewable for a further three years if applied for a second term. This is an honorary post and, while no financial honorarium is offered for the postholder, the College will reimburse all post related expenses (e.g. travel to meetings).

Role responsibilities: In this role you will be expected to:

• Plan and oversee the SIG’s strategy
• Chair regular virtual meetings and one funded face to face meeting a year with the SIG members
• Attend the quarterly Quality in Emergency Care (QECC) meetings at the RCEM as part of the Best Practice Committee
• Collaborate and engage with internal and external stakeholders on embedding public health into emergency medicine
• Attend key local and national public health events
• Oversee organisation of events including study days
• Adhere to the RCEM Code of conduct

Committee remit:
The RCEM Public Health Special Interest Group was established in 2017 with the vision to provide an integrated approach to strengthening the interface between public health and emergency care in order to improve health outcomes for communities. We hope to achieve this vision through:

• Sharing the vision with health care workers nationally and internationally
• Working with partners in the development of policies, research, training, and clinical practice related to EM and PH
• Fostering an environment that encourages health care workers to pursue their professional interests in this field.

What can you expect from us?

The chance to:

• Influence Emergency Medicine policy and produce cutting edge new guidance
• Meet and collaborate with new consultants / Emergency Medicine staff with similar values, as well as multi-disciplinary colleagues in national pre-hospital care
• Become involved in the development of Emergency Medicine study days and presentations
• Represent RCEM at stakeholder events
• Support and guidance in the role from the RCEM Quality Team and cluster chair.

What can we expect from you?

• Attend and chair all Public Health Special Interest Group meetings (formal quarterly meetings with ad-hoc additional meetings as required. One of the quarterly meetings per annum can be face to face)
• Make decisions on behalf of the Committee and escalate any concerns to the QECC Chair or cluster lead
• Attend / nominate attendance at other meetings to represent the College where required.
• Draft a bi-annual Committee work plan and report for RCEM Council

How to apply:

To apply for the position please send a single A4 page personal statement to Amy Stanton by emailing quality@rcem.ac.uk. Please ensure your personal statement covers your relevant experience and how you meet the person specification below.

Interviews will be conducted by the Quality in Emergency Care Chair and a member of the Quality team. The most suitable applicant will be recommended by the Quality Cluster QECC Chair. Please note that interviews are likely to be carried out via video conference. The deadline for applications is 10am on Tuesday 3 December 2024.

Person Specification

This role would suit a current Consultant in emergency medicine who has a demonstrable interest and expertise in Public Health.
Essential Practical Experience and Skills

• An NHS EM consultant with a keen interest in public health
• Excellent communication skills, leading a team and collaborative working
• Experience in chairing a committee or SIG
• Experience in public health project management, policy writing and implementation is desirable

Desirable Practical Experience and Skills

• Excellent knowledge of developments in the emergency medicine field
• Evidence of continuing personal development
• Publications in the field of EM

Personal Qualities

• Demonstrable interest and expertise in Public Health and EM
• Attention to detail
• Ability to multi-task and prioritise
• Self-motivated and innovative
• Ability to motivate others
• Good interpersonal skills
• A commitment to upholding the organisation’s values

Frequently Asked Questions

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RCEM Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) Prioritising Patient Pain – Topic Team Lead – Honorary post

The College is looking for new members with experience in Quality Improvement in Emergency Medicine and a keen interest in pain management in the Emergency Department to lead the Prioritising Patient Pain (PPP) QIP Topic Team.

Job description:

Accountable to: The Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee Co-Chairs.

Key working relationships: The topic team is part of the RCEM Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee (QA&I). This is directed by the RCEM Quality in Emergency Care Committee (QECC), which also undertakes guidance development and safety work relating to emergency medicine. The role will also work closely with other EM specialists and the RCEM Quality Team.

Topic Team Lead remit:

• To lead the topic team in progressing the developing clinical standards and National Quality Improvement Programme (QIPs) tools for measuring and improving the quality of care delivered by the speciality of Emergency Medicine
• To lead the topic team in producing an annual report on the performance of EM departments.
• To run the national QIP programme of the college and lead the development of reports of the individual and comparative results for participating departments.
• To advise the NHS, NICE, DOH, CQC, the Royal Colleges, and other national bodies who have an interest in the quality of care in emergency departments.
• To support participants throughout the running of the QIP by answering clinical queries about the QIP.

What can you expect from us?

• The chance to identify and improve key areas of EM practice with your choice of topics to be involved in each year.
• Co-authorship of at least one national report per year
• Evidence of participation for your appraisal
• Meet and work with EM staff with similar values from across the UK.
• Opportunities to get involved in EM study days, presentations and represent RCEM at stakeholder events.
• To work closely with the RCEM QIPs to raise the overall quality of care in emergency medicine.
• Support and guidance in the role from the RCEM Quality Team and the QA&I chairs.
• This is an honorary post and while no financial honorarium is offered for the postholder, the college will reimburse all post related expenses (e.g., travel to meetings).

What can we expect from you?

• To chair monthly topic team meetings and progress objectives of the Topic Team. Including a mandatory in-person meeting taking place in January 2025 at the RCEM office in London.
• To work and lead on progressing report drafts, recommendations, standards, and data interpretation
• Passion for improving quality at a national level.
• Work collaboratively with the committee to develop measurable standards.
• Help develop and test the QIP tools.
• Attend monthly QA&I risk register meetings.
• Work with the committee to improve the quality of care in emergency departments.
• Attend at least one full QECC meeting per year.
• At times, you may be asked to attend other meetings to represent the RCEM.
• This role will be for three years, potentially renewable for a further three years.

What time commitment is expected for this role?

One-two days per month for meetings and working on documents, including:

• Attendance at quarterly steering group and development QA&I meetings
• Attend Topic Team monthly meetings- These will be recurring meetings taking place every month.
  • Contribution to monthly topic team meetings is 1 hours a month (chaired by the topic team lead)
• Contribution to standards development, report writing, testing the portal, and giving feedback and recommendations on the QIP data in between meetings over email (max half day per month)
• Attend QA&I risk register meetings once a month (02:30 hours)

Interested in discussing more about this role? If you would like to speak to one of the Committee Co-Chairs, Dale or Fiona, please contact Lucas at dalla-vecchia@rcem.ac.uk so a meeting can be arranged.

Person specification:

The role would suit a current Emergency Medicine clinician with a demonstrable interest in a leadership position in Quality Improvement, specifically improving Analgesia Delivery Times in the Emergency.

Essential practical experience and skills

• Leadership skills and ability to delegate tasks.
• Ability to motivate others to perform to deadlines by using influencing skills.
• Experience in managing different perspectives to find agreeable solutions.
• Demonstratable interest in Quality Assurance and Improvement
• Demonstratable interest in improving Analgesia Delivery Times in the Emergency
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Desirable practical experience and skills

• Record of successful experience in quality work
• Excellent knowledge of developments in the emergency medicine field
• Evidence of continuing personal development
• Computer literate: excel, word
• Data science, analytical, or visualisation skills
• Graphic design or other artistic skills utilised to support communications
• Coding, e.g. Python (Matplotlib), R, or other
• Blogging, storytelling, social media

Essential personal qualities

• Attention to detail
• Ability to prioritise and work to tight deadlines
• Self-motivated and innovative
• Good interpersonal skills
• Professional manner and appearance
• Ability to work independently
• A commitment to upholding the organisation’s values

Desirable personal qualities

• Evidence of ability to mobilise groups and networks

How to apply:

Please submit a CV and personal statement (max 250 words) outlining why you should be the lead of the PPP QIP to Lucas Dalla-Vecchia (Senior Quality Officer at RCEM) lucas.dalla-vecchia@rcem.ac.uk by 17:00 on 6th December 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

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No, certainly not. Our committee roles are open to all members not just those who have worked in Emergency Medicine for years! This includes trainees. We are always keen to help those who have not previously had a role with us to get involved.

Absolutely! We are very keen to encourage those who have not been involved in the College to apply; if you have the skills and the passion, please do apply.
We can provide induction into College processes to support those who are not familiar with committees in the medical Royal College sector.

Yes! You might think that you do not have the experience, but if you are working in the field of Emergency Medicine, you probably do!
Aside from clinical skills, Emergency Medicine requires a depth of interpersonal skills: management, communication, influencing skills for example. Emphasise the skills you have, and think about soft skills such as communication, leadership, and team working.

To apply we ask you to write a one-page personal statement. This statement is an opportunity for you to explain why you are suitable for and interested in the role and detail your objectives for your time as a committee member.

Before you write your application, you should study the role profile in detail. Pay particular attention to the member specification aspect of the profile and ensure your application addresses the points outlined.

College staff are currently working remotely, and we will utilise video conferencing and other media to reduce the need for travel. We expect that duties will be primarily conducted from your normal place of work or from the comfort of your own home. Committee meetings take place 4 times per year on average.

It is highly unlikely that there will be regular face-to-face committee meetings in 2021, however if RCEM decides to meet once it is safe to do so then travel expenses will be covered as per our Expenses Policy. RCEM staff member responsible for Regional Chair recruitment can provide more information.

For the committee member roles, we welcome applications from College Fellows working in the region advertised. We encourage all fellows to apply, regardless of how experienced you are or how long you have been a fellow for. For this SIG, we are encouraging SAS, Nurse, trainee and ACP grade EM staff to apply. You do not need to be a Fellow to join this SIG.

Given the pressures the system is experiencing, we do understand that our Members and Fellows are needed for frontline services. However, there is often support provided to allow some recognition for College work, particularly as it can be developmental. In the past, the Chief Medical Officers have written to Trusts about this (see attached letter) and if you need help in how to approach your Trust for help please let us know.

Absolutely! The College is always here to support you in the role and with all responsibilities and duties you may have. We can send out email communications on your behalf to all members in the region and those in the College more generally. We take responsibility for organising any meetings as well as setting up and providing guidance with regional press coverage. We want to ensure that you can carry out the role to the best of your abilities and are therefore happy to provide as much support as you need to fulfil the role effectively.

Get in touch with us! We would be very happy to talk to you.
Email: quality@rcem.ac.uk