Wednesday 09 October 2024
Conference blog
Discussions focused on Lord Darzi’s review began the Annual Scientific Conference (ASC) as the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s (RCEM) President Dr Adrian Boyle pointed out how the harm caused by very long waits in A&E was now ‘simply not disputed’.
The Glasshouse in Gateshead opened its doors yesterday morning (Tuesday 8 October 2024) to welcome more than 200 ASC delegates to the event organised by RCEM.
Described as a ‘festival of science in Emergency Medicine’, involving national and international speakers, RCEM’s showcase event is firmly embedded in the specialty’s calendar.
Addressing hundreds of seated and virtual delegates on centre stage, Dr Boyle commended the strength of Emergency Medicine physicians and staff who had continued on despite the relentless pressures of the past year.
He added that the acknowledgment of the “awful state” A&Es are in from Lord Darzi’s review and Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer subsequently calling out the issue of ‘avoidable deaths’ as ‘chilling’ was a significant moment in his time advocating for change.
The conference’s first discussion then focused on the ‘Future of Emergency Medicine’, with Dr Boyle, Professor Julian Redhead from NHS England, Dr Sarah Scobie from the Nuffield Trust, and Rebecca Thomas from The Independent.
Julian Redhead emphasised the need to split urgent care from emergency care, envisioning a system where patients are filtered through urgent care before reaching emergency care. “I believe now is a great opportunity to get our messages right as a specialty and work with the government to provide the best emergency care for our patients”, he said.
An insight into the narrative of long waits in the media was provided by Rebecca Thomas who also shared how the Independent’s stories were sharing the impact of the healthcare crisis on patients and on those treating them.
Dr Scobie focused on how the complexities of pressures on A&E were growing and that understanding who is spending time in EDs was critical to finding solutions, adding that action was needed by government to improve social care. ‘At the moment it doesn’t look as though social care is particularly high on the political agenda, there’s a complex series of reforms needed’, she said.
After the discussion, a host of sessions ran concurrently throughout the day including:
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Members who were unable to join us for the conference, or those who want to watch sessions back after it ended, can benefit from our ‘on-demand’ service.
Opportunities to learn more with RCEMLearning
Related to today’s sessions, check out:
PERUKI update
The top 10 research priorities in PEM
Silencing the seizure: Phenytoin vs. Levetiracetam in paediatric status epilepticus
Breaking Evidence: EuSEM top scoring PEM abstracts 4-6
Is it boom then bust for bronchiolitis?
Breaking Evidence: EuSEM top scoring PEM abstracts 1-3
Preparing for a Bronchiolitis Epidemic – Blog
Coughing, Wheezy and Stridulous Children – Blog
The Unhappy Wheezer – Clinical Case
10 second triage and major incidents tool
Triage in Mass Casualty Situations – Reference
EMJ Podcast May 2019 – Major incident triage
An Incidentally Major Event – Memories of a Sleepy Mind – Blog
Session: Toxicology
Clinical Toxicology | Available until 4 June | 5-CPD Points | View Programme | Book now
Session: How to become a sustainable ED
Green ED | Available until 9 April | 6-CPD points | View the programme | Book now
Session: Paediatrics
Paediatrics Pearls and Pitfalls | Available until 1 February | 7- CPD points | View Programme | Book now
Session: EMSAS
EMSAS Conference 2024 | 13-14 November | Hybrid | Scarborough | 10-CPD Points | View Programme | Book now
