News and views from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Please use the "On this page" menu below for contents.
We’re being listened to.
Working conditions were extremely tough over December. This was driven by the long standing structural lack of capacity in NHS hospitals and underinvestment in social care; compounded by a severe cold snap, multiple respiratory infection outbreaks, industrial action and predictable bank holidays created a perfect storm of long waits, unsafe conditions and corridor care. The RCEM media team came out fighting and assertively got our message across that there was a crisis. We reiterated our previous position that crowding is dangerous and associated with excess mortality, with an estimate of 300-500 excess deaths a week. This created significant media interest, and I was called to a meeting with the Secretary of State to express our concerns and how the problems could be fixed. I was then called to a crisis summit at Downing Street on the Saturday. I was one of only three College Presidents to be invited, which I think illustrates the increasing recognition of the importance of emergency medicine. Our policy team had produced a briefing for the event and it was extraordinary to see that the Prime Minister had scribbled all over our briefing and highlighted parts of the document.
Our recommendations will not surprise anyone who has taken any interest in RCEM policy over the last 10 years. We need urgent action to reduce the multiple harms of exit block, to support staff so they don’t leave, new initiatives should be properly evaluated. We have robustly challenged the idea of a 76% aspiration for a four hour access standard and pre-ED cohorts areas (though I prefer the term ‘horseboxes’) We are certainly being listened to, though we will watch subsequent actions carefully. We provided content for the British Medical Journal Unprecedented? The NHS crisis in emergency care was entirely predictable | The BMJ and published key recommendations about workforce wellbeing and retention PiPP_Project_Key_Study_Recommendations_V2.pdf (rcem.ac.uk).
I then had a week on tour. This started with a trip to Whitley Bay outside Newcastle for the Northern Emergency Conference. It was an impressively organised day, especially given that this was organised by trainees. Thank you to Mahjubeen, Yusef and the rest of the steering committee for a successful day. A day in London at Octavia House was then followed by a day trip to Cardiff. The Welsh Board of RCEM presented their workforce census in the Welsh Senned (Parliament) to the Minister of Health and several politicians. Again, it really illustrated the value of hard data, to create light rather than heat.
Finally, I was invited to give evidence at a topical session of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee. The initial focus was to justify the 300-500 deaths claim and this initially was hostile. I was able to guide the committee through the published evidence including in our own journal and by the end, there was general acceptance that we had shown our homework and our conclusions that crowding is dangerous was justified. The committee were then receptive to our further analysis and recommendations to improve emergency care.
Though this month has been exhausting, I am pleased that we are being listened to and hope we are making progress. The alternative would be unthinkable. Obviously, the proof will be in what actions follow and whether they make any difference.
Dr Adrian Boyle
President, Royal College of Emergency Medicine
@RCEMpresident
RCEM’s 2022 Winter Appeal raised funds supporting our partners, Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU), in their relief work following the devastating impact of flooding in Pakistan earlier this year.
We are delighted to confirm we have raised over £5,000 from the kind donations of supporters of this appeal. We will now be working with RMU to ensure this money goes to where it is most needed.
RCEM’s 2021 Winter Appeal raised funds to support Emergency Medicine in Uganda, with your generous donations we were able to raise almost £6,000. In December 2022, the Mulago National referral hospital of Uganda and Makerere University College of Health Sciences were pleased to receive equipment purchased from funds raised by this appeal.
Looking for something to help motivate you with your New Year’s fitness goals? We have places at both the London Landmarks Half Marathon on 5th April 2023 and the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 8th October 2023, get in touch to find out more!
The London Landmarks Half Marathon gives you the chance to be part of 16,000 runners taking in the views of London’s most iconic landmarks including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Nelson’s Column, the Tower of London and the London Eye before finishing by Downing Street. Our participation in the 2023 event follows our successful participation in 2022 as well as having runners take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October. Interested in finding out more? Get in touch via fundraising@rcem.ac.uk.
To register your interest in these events or to find out more about taking part in any other future events for RCEM fundraising please email fundraising@rcem.ac.uk
We’re looking for a GPEMS Steering Group member. You will be involved in steering group meetings, writing guidelines, editing and working with other members.
GPEMS will be the definitive reference source for planning and delivery of UK Type-1 Emergency Medicine Services. The document will assist healthcare managers with service design and delivery, and give senior EM clinicians clarity about their roles and responsibilities.
The steering group members will meet approximately once a month from March 2023 until the publication of the final output (currently scheduled for summer 2024). They will be expected to lend their relevant expertise to help deliver a complex but extremely valuable piece of work.
If you are interested in applying to join the steering group, please email a cover letter explaining your interest and experience and your CV to Theo.Chiles@rcem.ac.uk by 5pm 28 February 2023.
We’re delighted to announce that the Research Committee has appointed four new Associate Professors: Alex Novak, Ed Barnard, Sarah Wilson and Darryl Wood. Alex and Ed will take up their posts with immediate effect, while Sarah and Darryl’s tenure will begin in 2024. Congratulations to them all.
Missed a clinical leads Zoom meeting? Catch up here. The latest meetings can be found below.
BMJ – NHS crisis: rebuilding the NHS needs urgent action RCEM President, Dr Adrian Boyle, co-wrote a piece for the BMJ with the Society for Acute Medicine, RCP, RCGP, and RCPsych, calling on the government to take urgent action to tackle the NHS crisis. Read the full article here.
If you haven’t listened to it before, why not try our podcast, Primary Survey, to give you the rundown of some of the best papers we published in the January 2023 edition of EMJ.
In addition, read the highlights of the January issue here.
You can subscribe to the EMJ podcast via all podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify, to get the latest podcast every month.
This year the Emergency Medicine Day campaign is dedicated to safety. Safety for our patients, who need care, attention and relief from pain and disease. Safety for our colleagues, who need to be able to work in a secure environment, for the right number of hours with the right number of patients in order to be able to give them the right amount of our time and energy. Only in these conditions are we sure to provide the patient with a safe haven in an emergency.
We strongly believe it is of the utmost importance that we can provide concrete data to the relevant stakeholders to reflect our distress and how this can threaten our safety and that of our patients.
We therefore would like to invite you to respond to 40 questions, based on a validated survey, about the safety of emergency care in your ED. We hope you can support the EM-Day with 10 minutes of your time.
In parallel to this survey EUSEM are sending a questionnaire to patients’ organisation and to individual patients, with the hope that the results of the three surveys will describe the situation in an unequivocal way.
Take the survey here before 27 February.
The results of these surveys will be published on the EM Day and will be circulated to media and politicians.
Toxicology specialist list
Join our new Toxicology specialist list: email Alison.Ives@rcem.ac.uk for information and getting involved, or tick ‘Toxicology Lead’ on your iMIS profile under ‘ Other Info’.
Let the SEDIT do the heavy lifting – new animation video released to promote GIRFT-developed emergency medicine data dashboard
The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has produced a new three-minute animation video to introduce new users to the Summary Emergency Department Indicator Table (SEDIT) data platform.
The SEDIT supports emergency department (ED) teams to understand their demand, capacity, flow and outcomes, and to make improvements accordingly, with the help of colour-coded graphs, charts and filtering tools.
The latest SEDIT developments include new additions to the platform – system view and ambulance tab – and a new permanent link from within the EM component of the Model Health System dashboard.
GIRFT is encouraging all EDs to use the SEDIT to support patient flow and capacity management.
You can find out more by visiting the GIRFT website: gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/sedit
We’re looking for Chairs and Vice Chairs to support committees across the UK, along with new committee members!
Are you interested in representing fellow members and advocating for patients in your region? Are you looking for opportunities to develop both personally and professionally? If so, then please check out our volunteering page for opportunities to get involved.
Current vacancies include:
For further information contact us at daisy.harmer@rcem.ac.uk. Finally, please share this call out with your networks.
The Research Committee’s semi-annual grant call is now accepting applications for funding. Members can apply for up to £10,000 to support their EM research project.
Applications must be received by Friday 31 March 2023. For further information, including an application form and application guidance, please visit our Research webpages.
Applications are invited for the 2023 Royal College of Emergency Medicine Undergraduate Prizes.
Applicants are required to be an undergraduate student at a recognised teaching institution within the UK but are not required to be a member of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
Applications must be received by Friday 24 February 2023. For further information, including an application form and application guidance, please visit our Research webpages.
Are you interested in this very important role which involves ensuring that Emergency Departments are led by consultants who have all the necessary competences? The CESR team are in constant need, the more assessors in the team means the more we can spread the workload. If you are interested in joining the team, please see the requirements and how to apply via Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) | RCEM. Please email cesr@rcem.ac.uk for any other queries.
We are now offering free, 24/7 confidential helpline support for all our members via a Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme. Your call will be handled by an experienced therapist or advisor who will offer support in a friendly, non-judgemental manner. You can contact them by phone at any time for help with: –
Simply call the free 24-hour confidential helpline on 0800 028 0199 and use the code MHA 229 700 to access support.
Further information can be found HERE.
All frontline health care and social care workers should be offered vaccination by their employer. This is an employer’s responsibility to help protect their staff and patients or clients and ensure the overall safe running of services. Employers should commission or implement a service which makes access to the vaccine easy for all frontline staff, encourages staff to get vaccinated, and monitors the delivery of their programme. The complementary NHS influenza vaccination offer for primary care staff has not been extended for the 2022 to 2023 influenza season. Influenza vaccinations for primary care staff, like other frontline healthcare staff, revert to being an employer’s occupational health responsibility.
As for last season, the definition of a frontline healthcare worker for the influenza programme will be aligned with that of the COVID-19 vaccination programme to include both clinical and nonclinical staff who have contact with patients. One of the quality indicators in the 2022 to 2023 Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) is a goal of vaccinating between 70 to 90% of staff.
Please do speak to your employer about getting your flu jab.
We’re getting to that point in the year when we start to look back and review what has happened in 2022. Why not take the opportunity to look back through our Editor’s Choice Archive for 2022 – featuring all the selected papers from January, right up to the November choice. Or, you might also choose to look back on EMJ content by looking at our Most Read articles so far this year.
Alternatively you could take a listen to our latest podcast – which reviews the highlights from our November issue – five great papers discussing headache, subarachnoid haemorrhage, pre-hospital births, how to mitigate emergency physician stress in resuscitation, and pathways for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.
However you choose to review our content, we’re sure you’ll find something to capture your interest.
Emergency Medicine is one of the most diverse professional clinical communities. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to fully evidence the diverse intersectionality of who we are, as the demographic data we have of our members is patchy.
Thing Spring we’re running #CountMeIn to truly capture and celebrate the diverse intersectionality of who we are.
Having a sense of our members’ representation will help us to better understand how best to represent you.
Help us to help you by filling in your College profile today.
Join us in starting a dialogue about the importance of representation in emergency medicine by sharing the campaign and your views on social media.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine is launching RespectED, an anti-bullying campaign that aims to raise awareness and tackle the rise in toxic behaviours such as bullying, harassment and incivility between staff in Emergency Departments (EDs). These negative behaviours have a huge impact in EDs; they can create a toxic working environment, affect morale and the delivery of safe patient care.
The RespectED campaign is being launched to acknowledge that bullying, harassment and incivility occur in Emergency Departments. It encourages staff to address their own behaviours, to speak up and challenge these behaviours if they witness or are targeted by them and to positively change Emergency Departments and their cultures.
As pressures once again mount on the NHS it is vital that negative and toxic behaviours are challenged, and staff are supported by their colleagues and peers.
Jayne Hidderley, Chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Lay Group, said: “We know when incivility and bullying take place in our Emergency Departments, it not only has a detrimental effect on all staff but is a serious risk to patient safety. Our RespectED campaign, in collaboration with Civility Saves Lives, is a call to action to raise awareness amongst our staff and start the conversation. We want all staff in our Emergency Departments to be equipped to speak up, challenge these behaviours and change the culture together.”
You can find out more about the campaign, along with other useful resources, here.
Are you expecting a baby, currently on maternity or shared parental leave, have recently returned to work or have children who are in primary school? If yes, then apply now for the award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowship Programme.
The Leaders Plus Fellowship is a nine-month Programme enabling parents with babies and young children to accelerate their careers whilst still enjoying their families. You’ll get access to inspirational role models, a Senior Leader Mentor, a cross-sector network of peers, as well as support to progress your career whilst looking after young children.
The RCEM are delighted to part-fund 6 places on the Leaders Plus Fellowship for individuals working in emergency medicine. Find out more at http://www.leadersplus.org.uk/rcem
We would like to share with you the opportunity to access the European Society of Emergency Medicine’s (EUSEM) learning platform as part of the College’s membership with EUSEM.
The platform contains a range of resources including webinars, videos and document libraries, the majority of resources are available via open access, find out more via: https://academy.eusem.org>
Are you following our officers on Twitter? Keep up to date by using these handles:
You can also follow our current VPs for the devolved nations:
As we approach the Spring CPD Conference, we are delighted to share the programme with you, which is constantly being updated with the latest news and session info available. Check it out and book your tickets now!
Register for the conference now.
This course is aimed at consultants, higher specialty trainees, and experienced associate specialty doctors who are keen to lead and teach ultrasound skills.
View the programme online and book now
Date: 8 March 2023
Oncology and haemato-oncology patients often present a multitude of complex challenges when presenting acutely to the emergency department.
View the programme online and book now
Date: 14 March 2023
This virtual study day is focussed on adolescent emergency medicine. Defining key themes in acute adolescent medicine and treatment options for acute mental and sexual health conditions, this study day is sure to be useful to anyone caring for adolescents.
View the programme online and book now
All our virtual study days are available for booking post-event for 6-months. This means if you’ve missed a study day you can register and watch the whole thing whenever suits you. Recent study days that have been added include:
We’ve launched our new campaign to tackle the problems facing Emergency Medicine. Five Priorities for UK Governments to #ResuscitateEmergencyCare lays out what UK governments must focus on to tackle the crisis, improve patient care, retain staff, and prevent harm. The five priorities are:
You can read the full recommendations here, and the press release here.
Following conversations with RCEM, the NHS and the government have published a new blueprint to help recover urgent and emergency care services, reduce waiting times, and improve patient experience.
Frontline capacity will be boosted further thanks to 800 new ambulances, including 100 specialist mental health vehicles, and 5,000 more sustainable hospital beds backed by a £1 billion dedicated fund.
Urgent care provided in the community will be expanded to ensure people can get the care they need at home, without the need for a hospital admission.
Same day emergency care units, staffed by consultants and nurses, will be open in every hospital with a major A&E, helping to transform patients’ experiences and allowing thousands of people each week to avoid an overnight hospital stay.
The use of ‘virtual wards’ is set to grow, with 7,000 virtual ward beds already in the community and up to 50,000 patients a month expected to benefit by the end of 2023/24.
The two year plan aims to stabilise services to meet the NHS’ two major recovery ambitions, to help achieve A&E four-hour performance of 76% by March 2024 and improve category two ambulance response times to an average of 30 minutes over the next year, with further improvement in the following year.
The plan also commits to increasing clinical input to 111 calls, and to publication of 12hr wait data, measured from time of arrival – something the College has long campaigned for. Publication of 12hr data should start in April.
On Thursday, 19th January, we launched the findings of our Welsh Workforce Census at Senedd Cymru in Cardiff Bay.
This event was our first at the Senedd. It was well-attended, with a mix of clinicians, members of the Senedd and representatives from organisations including Health Education and Improvement Wales. Our panel of frontline clinicians appreciated the opportunity to talk candidly about their experiences and share our emergency medicine workforce census findings.
The event was followed by an engaging Q&A chaired by RCEM President Adrian Boyle. Together, we unpacked topics ranging from how the need for workforce slots in with other recommendations (such as the need for more social care) to how to spread risk throughout hospitals and the broader healthcare system.
The event was a success, culminating with us advocating for more training places in Wales! This is the start of big things, so watch this space!
We thank Joyce Watson, MS, for sponsoring the event and the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, MS, for showing her support and delivering a keynote address acknowledging the difficulties facing the UEC system.
You can read the full census report here.
Sustainable Working Practices Committee vacancy x1 – Wales rep
The Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust have released the first set of new online AortaEd resources, providing comprehensive aortic dissection information and expert advice for healthcare professionals.
HSIB have published a new report on the assessment of venous thromboembolism risks associated with pregnancy and the postnatal period. This investigation explores the issues associated with the assessment of risk factors for venous thrombosis in pregnancy and the first 6 weeks after birth. Venous thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms and causes a blockage in a person’s vein. This can lead to venous thromboembolism (VTE), when part of the clot breaks off and travels through the bloodstream, blocking a blood vessel elsewhere in the body.
NICE guideline on Delirium: prevention, diagnosis and management in hospital and long-term care
NICE guideline on Pneumonia in adults: diagnosis and management
2022/23 QIP registration and data entry is now open to all Type 1 UK Emergency Departments!
The topics running in 2022/23 are
Please see the topic information packs and submit the Registration Form to register your ED.
You will have recently received an email regarding renewal of your RCEM membership.
Your membership gives us a much stronger voice when lobbying on your behalf for the specialty and also increases our influence as we continue to press for systemic improvements. Due to the financial support you provide through your membership, we are able to:
For members with a UK account, direct debit is the easiest way to pay and we offer monthly as well as annual payment options. Sign up today to pay your 2023 subs via direct debit
Alternatively, all members are welcome to pay by credit card online or by calling our member services team on +44 (0)207 404 1999
If you require a receipt of payment for previous tax years, please email us on membership@rcem.ac.uk with the year/s that you require the receipt for. You can also claim tax relief on your membership subscription at your highest marginal tax rate and more information is available here.
If you have any queries related to your membership then please get in touch with us via telephone (+44 (0)207 404 1999), email (membership@rcem.ac.ukor webchat via our website (rcem.ac.uk).
We still have some 2023 RCEM diaries available, if you would like one please email membership@rcem.ac.uk with your address and we can send one out to you.
We understand the incredible time pressures our members face and we have partnered with Health Assured to offer access to a 24/7 confidential helpline.
Your College membership allows support across a wide range of topics including help with bereavement, legal information and financial support.
Please call 0800 028 0199 and quote reference MHA229700 to access the service. Full details of this service can be accessed via the attached flyer.
We now have a fabulous array of RCEM merchandise available for purchase at our online shop. From hoodies to keep out the winter chill to sustainably sourced notepads and pen sets plus those all-important coffee mugs and reusable cups, we’ve hopefully got something for everyone.
You can also order an RCEM lanyard free of charge by emailing membership@rcem.ac.uk with your address and we’ll send one out to you.
It’s crucial that we have accurate contact details for you and it’s also important that we hold up to date demographic member data to ensure inclusion and representation for all.
Please take a few moments to review your data in your account to ensure you receive important EM updates and enable us to support you and the speciality in the long term.
All members have the benefit of being able to enjoy RCEM Lifestyle Rewards at any time via www.rcem-rewards.co.uk/. Members receive new exclusive discounts and added value offers every month on a wide range of luxury products, services & experiences.
This month’s special selection of Lifestyle Rewards offers are:
Oxford Ski Company
Luxury Ski Holidays & Alpine Escapes
Book 5+ night’s at The Grandes Alpes Hotel Courchevel 1850 and receive free ski passes, 5% off your booking and 20% off spa treatments!
The Innocent Hound
Award-Winning Complete Food and Treats for your Hounds
We specialise in producing the finest air-dried food and treats for dogs and cats with carefully sourced British ingredients. Members save 15%
Castara Retreats
‘The perfect perch on an idyllic Caribbean Isle”
Luxury hillside eco-lodges overlooking the ocean in Tobago, the Caribbean.
The ultimate luxury getaway -members save 10%
Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa
A World of Pure Relaxation…
Situated within the ancient New Forest National Park is a home of relaxation; offering space to breathe and reset. Exotic Retreat Spa Break – Up To 15% Off
African Pride
Luxury tailormade holidays to Africa & the Indian Ocean
Classic South Africa – 16 nights from £2,855 pp. A great fly drive itinerary – Cape Town, the Winelands, the Garden Route and a game safari…
Ultimate Travel Club Membership
Say hello to travel at trade prices…
Save up to 40% on hotels, package holidays, villas, cruises and car hire. Members get 3 months free membership to book travel at trade prices!
Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa
Sumptuous, timeless & inspiring…
Treat yourself this Winter… Curl up in a four poster bed, take a wander on the beach and relax by the fire. Save up to 25%
Ruark Audio
Premium small audio range. Save an exclusive 10% our award-winning range of premium small audio products. Let the music play…
The Fragrance Shop
Members save 15% at the UK’s largest independent fragrance retailer with over 400 fragrance brands to choose from!
Stan Fairbrother Garden Structures
Bespoke summerhouses & garden building handmade in the finest quality Cedar. Members receive free fitting worth up to £520!
African Horse Safaris
Unparalleled horse-riding adventures across Africa!
The largest portfolio of expertly guided and unique horse experiences across the African continent. Members get £100 voucher towards your trip!
The Traditional Verandah Company
Bespoke Verandas, Porches, Walkways and Canopies Crafted to fit your property
Enjoy the great outdoors whatever the weather. Members save £500!
The role of being a College Examiner is a privilege that carries with it the responsibility of maintaining the highest standards, as expected by patients, candidates and Members and Fellows.
The College welcomes applications from all members of the College who meet the eligibility criteria. There are four grades of examiner:
Full details of the roles and responsibilities of each grade of examiner, as well as the person specifications, are available in the Examiner Regulations Pack .
Once you have read the regulations, and confirmed you meet the requirements, please complete the Examiner Application Form using your member login.
Friday 27 January 2023 – London
Friday 10 March 2023 – Glasgow
Sunday 23 July 2023 – Chennai
Sunday 8 October 2023 – Hyderabad
Sunday 12 March 2023 – Kuala Lumpur
To request attendance and book accommodation for a workshop, please contact Examiners@rcem.ac.uk
Subsequent 2023 UK workshop dates are currently being scheduled and will be confirmed in due course.
To register your interest, please click here. Please note, you must be approved as an examiner prior to attending the workshop.
If you require any further information on examiner roles, please contact examiners@rcem.ac.uk
Exam dates and application windows for 2023 have now been confirmed.
We are extremely grateful for all the feedback and input we’ve received from candidates, trainee representatives, examiners and committees in developing these exam dates. This feedback has helped us to ensure that the exams calendar for next year improves our way of working and will enhance the customer service we offer to all our stakeholders.
Below are the key changes to note.
Increased capacity for OSCE Exams
Demand for MRCEM & FRCEM OSCE exams has continued to grow in recent years as the number of candidates progressing through our written exams has increased. We are pleased to confirm that we have increased capacity for both MRCEM & FRCEM OSCEs in 2023.
An additional 200 spaces will be available to MRCEM & FRCEM OSCE candidates in 2023, a 12.5% increase compared to 2022.
We’re also increasing capacity for MRCEM OSCE exams in the UK, to 1080 spaces (three diets of 10 days, with 36 candidates each day), with FRCEM OSCE capacity increasing to 640 spaces (two diets of 10 days, with 32 candidates each day).
Whilst we are increasing the total number of days of MRCEM OSCE exams, these will be run over three diets rather than four. It is important to note that this reduced number of diets will not affect the total number of examining opportunities for candidates each year. The existing application and results release timelines means that candidates could apply to and sit a maximum of two OSCE diets each year; this will remain the same when running three diets instead of four.
A key factor in this proposed change is to help alleviate pressures and difficulties around examiner recruitment, which has been a particular issue with MRCEM OSCE exams in recent years. Since February 2022 we have recruited 94 UK Examiners and 26 overseas Examiners. You can find more information about how to become an examiner or other ways to get involved with exams here.
Consistent application windows
From 2023, application windows for all exams will be two weeks long.
Once an application has been submitted, candidates will receive an acknowledgement email including details of when applications will be reviewed by, which is typically three weeks after the application window closing date.
For OSCE exams, candidates will receive details of when allocations will be confirmed by, and candidates applying to written exams will be given dates of the respective Pearson VUE booking window, which will open once applications have been approved.
This change will give greater transparency to candidates throughout the registration process and ensure a more efficient approval and booking process.
See the 2023 exam dates on the Exam Calendar & Fees page.
The 2022 ACP curriculum was implemented in September 2022. If you are an ACP working towards the RCEM EM-ACP credential, or you are an RCEM Fellow who is either currently the Educational Supervisor of an ACP or will be undertaking this role in the future, please ensure you read the following information. Further detailed guidance is attached to this email.
By now, all ACPs working towards the RCEM EM-ACP credential should have met with their Educational Supervisors to decide whether they may remain on the 2017 ACP curriculum or will need to transition to the 2022 ACP curriculum. If this meeting has not already taken place, please ensure you meet as soon as possible. Guidance to assist with this decision can be found here.
ACPs who need to transition to the 2022 curriculum should:
Please note: ACPs must ensure that all open tickets have been closed (incl. MSF) prior to submitting the Curriculum Migration form. ACPs and supervisors must also ensure that the FEGS and STR have been completed for the period prior to transition as supervisors will no longer have access to the 2017 FEGS and STR forms once migration has been completed.
All evidence collected prior to transition will be retained in the timeline and should be relinked to the 2022 curriculum if appropriate. It is strongly recommended that ACPs and supervisors meet as soon as possible to complete a gap analysis to identify evidence that can be used moving forward. Detailed transition guidance can be found here.
All Educational Supervisors must complete RCEM ACP Supervisor training (2022 curriculum) within the first 12 months of an ACP commencing, or transitioning to, the 2022 curriculum, regardless of whether they have previously completed 2017 curriculum supervisor training. RCEM ACP Supervisor training will take place on the following dates in 2023:
To book a place, please click here. Please note, spaces fill up fast and therefore we recommend that you register for a place as soon as possible to guarantee the date of your choice. Once the 2022 curriculum ACP Supervisor training has been successfully completed, the role of ACP Educational Supervisor will be assigned to your ePortfolio account. Only ACP Educational Supervisors with this role will be able to access and complete the FEGS, ESR and Foundation Sign-off form and, therefore, it is imperative that you attend this training as soon as possible. For further information on the new RCEM ACP Educational Supervisor role, please refer to the attached guidance.
All ACPs require a Foundation Sign-off form completed by their ACP Educational Supervisor within their ePortfolio to credential. Foundation skills are procedures in which an ACP would be expected to demonstrate capability at entrustment level 4 early in their training, ideally within the first three months of commencing or transitioning to the 2022 RCEM ACP curriculum. For those ACPs who are not independently competent in the foundation procedures at the start of training, a plan should be formulated to address the additional skills required. Some Trusts will have local sign-off processes for these procedures that may be used. Alternatively, for procedures which are new to the ACP, it is recommended that ePortfolio Foundation DOPS forms are utilised to demonstrate progression in any new procedure and, subsequently, an ACP Adult [or Children] Foundation Sign-off form should be completed.
Please note: Educational Supervisors will not be able to complete the Foundation Sign-off form until they have completed the 2022 curriculum ACP Supervisor training, have the ACP Educational Supervisor role assigned to their ePortfolio account, and the ACP has added them to their ePortfolio as their ACP Educational Supervisor. Therefore, it may not be possible to complete the Foundation Sign-off form within the first 3 months, but it should be completed as soon as it is possible to do so.
For further information on the 2022 ACP curriculum, credentialing regulations or transition guidance, please visit the ACP Curriculum webpage on the RCEM website. We will also shortly be publishing a series of help sheets on the website which will provide further guidance on specific areas of the curriculum and credentialing.
If you have any questions regarding the 2022 ACP curriculum that have not been answered here or on the website, please email ACP@rcem.ac.uk.
We have been receiving several requests to approve manually the following forms submitted by Educational or Clinical supervisors:
This happens because their access to the trainees’ ePortfolio has expired after the form was received.
For supervisor to be able to complete the above listed forms, trainees will need to:
The end date is important because your supervisor won’t be able to complete any form or view you after the end date expires. Furthermore, they won’t be able to generate reports within the forms (e.g. the EPA1) even if the forms have already been stated when their access was active.
Supervisors: should you not be able to view your trainee, please ask them to add you again for all the necessary time before completing the forms. This for you to be able to complete forms correctly.
Trainees: Should the end date of the add a supervisor event have expired and should you have disappeared from your supervisor’s list, Please add your supervisor again. Please add them providing them with extra time! This to avoid difficulties in submitting the forms.
Here’s a selection of some of January’s most popular publications:
Consultant Emergency Physician
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter
£88,364 to £119,133 a year
Applications are invited for the full time post of Consultant Emergency Physician to join our Team of 20 highly committed Consultants
Read more…
Consultant in Emergency Medicine
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
£84,559 to £114,003 a year per annum
A great opportunity is available for an experienced doctor to join the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust as a Consultant in Emergency
Read more…
Consultant In Emergency Medicine
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Steeton
£88,364 to £119,133 a year per annum
Are you looking for a welcoming and supportive department in which to begin your consultant journey?
Read more…
A full list of vacancies is available here.
The BSSH Hand Trauma Committee is seeking expressions of interest for an Accident and Emergency/Emergency Department Representative for a term of three years (May 2023 – April 2026).
The committee meets every two months. Meetings are mainly held virtually with at least two face to face meetings per year. Meetings take place during the day with some evenings when necessary.
The Hand Trauma Committee exists to advance hand trauma care in the UK.
Completed application forms should be submitted to charlotte.smith@bssh.ac.uk by 12 March 2023.
ED Representative BSSH Trauma Committee – Full information
House of Lords Public Services Committee – Emergency healthcare: a national emergency
This report includes an action plan, setting out suggestions as to what the government should do to address the crisis regarding access to emergency care. It finds that, in many cases, patients are attending emergency care services because they have, or feel they have, no alternative. The report concludes that the government should consider, consult upon, and establish a bold and ambitious new operating model for emergency health care.
Under pressure: what will 2023 hold for the health and care system?
As pressures on health and care services increased in 2022, The King’s Fund’s Chief Executive, Richard Murray, considers what the new year might have in store for the sector.
NHS Confederation – 2023/24 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance: what you need to know
This briefing gives an overview and analysis of NHS England’s operational planning guidance and priorities for the service in 2023/24.
The Kings Fund has produced a report on strategies to reduce waiting times for elective care. The report is critical of strategy of recent years as opposed to the more focussed approach adopted in the 2000s.
The Government has published a summary of responses to the government’s consultation on appropriate clinical negligence cover for regulated healthcare professionals, which ran from December 2018 to February 2019. Publication and the Government response was held back because of the on-going Paterson Inquiry.
The GMC Council has agreed the annual retention fee for 2023 which will come in from 1 April. Changes to fees will be below inflation (3.1%, rather than a 10.1% increase, which was the rate of inflation in September when fees were reviewed ). This is the same level as last year’s rise. It means an increase of £5 for newly qualified doctors and £13 for doctors with full registration when they pay their annual fee in 2023. This is a break from the 2017 policy to keep fee changes in line with inflation, in recognition of the rising cost of living. If you’d like any more detail on the above, you can have a look at the fees pages of the GMC website.
The Government has provided funding to buy extra beds in care homes and other settings to help discharge more patients to free up hospital beds.
Public Policy Exchange will be hosting a webinar Stabilising Accident and Emergency: Fixing the Staffing Crisis, Reducing Waiting Times and Meeting the Needs of Patients on Tuesday, February 7th 2023 at 9:30 AM — 1:00 PM
Programme:
Please click here to register online.
The International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) is calling for a reset of emergency care around the world in a position statement. IFEM believes that such a reset is essential in order to regain control of the situation affecting hospital Emergency Departments and ensure that no more lives are lost while patients are waiting to be treated. All healthcare systems and governments must take urgent action to remedy the current situation, they say.
ED “over-crowding” occurs when there is an imbalance in patient demand, capacity of the ED to work efficiently and / or bed capacity within the hospital for those patients who need hospital admission. Research has shown that over-crowding of hospital Emergency Departments (ED’s) harms patients and can lead to loss of life. “Over-crowding” describes a situation of too many patients for the space available. Daily news headlines around the world attest to the harm to patients and the stress to staff in this growing and deadly problem. Read the full statement here.
