EM-ACP Forum

Ashleigh Lowther

Region: United Kingdom
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust
Email: ACPChair@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: Ashleigh is an RCEM credentialed ACP in adults and paeds Emergency Medicine. She is currently the RCEM ACP forum Chair, and her main interests are resuscitation, trauma and paediatric EM, but she is increasingly interested in how we maintain excellent patient care in increasingly difficult circumstances, and how to make ED nurses feel loved and educated!

Ashleigh currently works at Portsmouth Emergency Department. Her aims for the next 3 years as ACP forum Chair are to maintain the steady ship set by her predecessor Olivia Wilson. She wants to focus on the smooth transition of the newly launched ACP curriculum, continued ACP CPD such as the 2023 RCEM ACP conference and working with key RCEM partners such as EMTA, EMSAS, RCEM Training Team and RCEM Council to influence EM in the UK where possible.

Abbie Crawford

Region: East Midlands
Primary Profession: Physiotherapist
Organisation: University Hospitals of Leicestershire
Email: emacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I started as a Physiotherapist in 2012 where I gained experience within the NHS and Professional Sport. I completed all core rotations, and specialised in Musculoskeletal and Trauma & Orthopaedics, taking a particular interest in Major Trauma. In 2018, I became an Advanced Clinical Practitioner and I am now an ACP within the East Midlands, ACP PoCUS Lead within the Emergency Department. I am an advocate for AHP ACPs; I actively promote AHP Strategy and Leadership and have active involvement in RCEM’s Careers Committee, as well as Website Design. I am aiming to credential with The Royal College in 2024.

I want to bring East Midlands ACPs together through regional teaching and 1-2-1 and group support sessions. I am always available via the email provided and I am honoured to be your voice.

Stephanie Shea

Region: East of England
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: Northampton General Hospital, NHS Trust
Email: eofeacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I have been a qualified nurse for over 14 years. During this time the role has given me a myriad of experiences working in critical care, tropical diseases, travel health, film & television, emergency medicine and pre-hospital care. It has taken me around the world, from working in remote areas on expeditions, serving in the armed forces and to the Olympic games in London 2012.

I have spent the last 5 years working as an ACP specialising in emergency medicine. I am passionate about the vital role ACPs play in the workforce and strategies to support ACPs is the current focus of my doctoral studies. I have credentialled with the Royal College of Nursing and currently working towards my RCEM portfolio. I am incredibly proud to be an ACP and consider it my superpower. My drive to give all ACPs the platform to have their voice heard led me to more recently take on the role of Lead for Advanced Clinical Practice for our organisation.

It is my pleasure to represent the East of England on the RCEM ACP forum. I look forward to working with you all over the next 3 years to raise our collective voices and drive positive change for the future.

Position Vacant

Glen Seymour

Region: North
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Email: northacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I qualified as a nurse from Northumbria University in 2009. I initially worked in ITU and District Nursing before moving into Emergency Care. I have worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse across the country. I commenced training as an ACP at Northumbria Healthcare Trust and I have recently moved the RVI which is the local Major Trauma Centre.

I have completed the academic components of the MSc and I am currently undertaking the End Point Assessment of the apprenticeship. I have three years-experience as a trainee ACP and I am hoping to credential once I have been awarded the MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice.

In my role with RCEM I hope to be able to strengthen the network of ACPs within the region to aid development of the alternative medical workforce.

Julie Winstanley

Region: North West
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: Manchester General Hospital (part of the Manchester Foundation Trust)
Email: nwacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I qualified as a nurse in 1997 and spent 17 years working in acute medicine before embarking on my ACP journey. I completed the MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice in 2012 and successfully achieved RCEM adult credentialing in autumn 2021.

I have worked in emergency medicine for the past 8 years, in both a tertiary hospital and district general hospital (DGH) in the northwest as an ACP. My current role is the lead ACP at NMGH ED, this role provides the opportunity to continue to work clinically along with the leading and developing the ACP team.

My main goals as a RCEM ACP forum representative would be to build on the work the team have already commenced, provide support to ACPs undertaking the credentialing process and working with college to develop beyond ST3 level. The last few years the ACP voice is now being heard; I want to take this to the next level along with the RCEM ACP forum. My main interest alongside leadership is to ensure patient safety and improve clinical practice for all our patients in challenging times.

Position Vacant

Leah Georgiou

Region: South East England
Primary Profession: Paramedic
Organisation: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Email: scacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I started training as a Paramedic with the West Midlands Ambulance Service in 2013 before moving to South Central Ambulance Service to Practice as a qualified paramedic and mentor. I have since gathered experience in many areas of the NHS including primary care, community and secondary care roles. I have recently moved to the coast in Brighton and I am in my final year of ACP Training and aim to submit to the credentialing panel in Spring 2024. I am interested in scope of practice within the ED-ACP pathway and hope to help develop this during my time on the forum.

Ruth Beveridge

Region: West Midlands
Primary Profession: Paramedic
Organisation: University Hospitals of Birmingham
Email: wmacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I started as an “Ambulance Student” in 2009 in the South West, moving to the West Midlands in 2012. I worked in a variety of pre-hospital roles from rapid response paramedic, specialist paramedic practitioner to Operations Manager. I moved to Heartlands Hospital in 2019 as a trainee ACP and began my Masters at Warwick Medical School. I am aiming to dual credential in September 2023.

Within RCEM I will be sitting on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, having a keen interest in LGBTQ+ within Emergency Medicine. I am also passionate about the professional diversity within the ACP professions, and representing the variety of primary professions that can grow into ACPs.

Amy Cawthorne

Region: Yorkshire and Humber
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Email: yhacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I have been a qualified nurse for over 14 years within Emergency Care and spent the last 9 years as an ACP in Emergency Medicine. I was privileged to be one of the first two nurses to achieve RCEM credentialing as part of the pilot in 2016 and since then have been heavily involved with both RCEM and HEE promotion of advanced practice. I now sit on the RCEM ACP credentialing panel and have helped to develop the 2022 ACP Curriculum.

My current role is as a Senior and Lead ED ACP progressing my clinical competence and developing our large well-established and expanding ACP team.  This will be my second term with the ACP forum and I wish to continue my focus on ACP development post-credentialing and strengthening networks across the region with both ACPs and other trainee groups. I believe the ACP workforce are an integral part of the ED and we need to be represented and supported as a profession in our own right.

Ciara Osbourne

Region: Northern Ireland
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: Southern Health and Social Care Trust
Email: niacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I started working within the NHS 24 years ago as a domestic assistant.  From there I moved onto care assistant, nursing assistant and completed my BSc Nursing 10 years ago.

Throughout the years I have worked in a variety of specialities: learning disability, mental health, medical, surgical and emergency. I started working as a staff nurse in the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh until I moved home to Armagh and started working in Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, 6 years ago. I embarked on my MSc in Emergency Medicine Advanced Practice in 2019. I completed my MSc in 2021. I am currently planning to credential in Autumn 2024.

There is a small ACP team within the Southern Trust across two sites. I hope to use my role as NI ACP rep to promote the role and encourage recruitment and retention, not just in my own trust, but across NI.

Alex Bann

Region Rep: Scotland
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: NHS Lanarkshire – University Hospital Monklands
Email: scotlandacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: I started as a staff nurse in NHS Fife in 2013. My first post was in the Emergency Department and my passion for emergency nursing has never wavered. I was fortunate enough to earn a place on the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) – early clinical careers fellowship. This provided me the opportunity to commence my masters and progress my career early on with support and funding. I chose to pursue an MSc in Advanced Practice and shortly after took up a post as an Acute Frailty ANP based within medical admissions with in-reach to surgical and ED.

I continued in this role until my masters was completed by my passion for ED always continued and joined the team at Monklands Hospital as an ACP in the Emergency Department in 2019. I started the RCEM portfolio which has provided a great structure to guide my progression and hope to submit for credentialing in 2023.

As forum representative I am keen to continue to push the development of the ACP role across Scotland. I hope we can increase our numbers and also increase the number of opportunities for AHPs to come into the ACP role.

Johnathan George

Region: Wales
Primary Profession: Nurse
Organisation: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board – Royal Glamorgan Hospital
Email: walesacpforumrep@rcem.ac.uk

Profile: Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK to attend University in London in 2001. I’ve worked in London, Swansea, Newport, Cardiff and currently Pontyclun. Other than a year as a scrub nurse, my career has always been in emergency care. I completed my BN in 2010 and my MSc in 2017. I am helping to plan the next RCEM ACP conference.

Outside of RCEM I am a director of the Faculty of Emergency Nursing. I sit on the Health Education and Improvement Wales EC-ACP steering group. I am a professional advisor for the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales. I currently chair my hospital’s Advanced Practice Forum.