News & views from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine
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Welcome from the PresidentRCEM has been in Bournemouth this week at our Spring 2022 CPD event. CPD Bournemouth was the conference we cancelled on 6 March 2020 when it was becoming obvious that the global Health Emergency, declared by the World Health Organisation on 30 January 2020, was about to hit the UK. In early March 2020 we were in two minds about cancelling because there was no steer from the Government or the CMOs about gatherings, let alone medical conferences. But on 5 March 2020 we felt we had to decide and sent this email to RCEM Council
‘It is with much regret that I am asking your agreement to cancel the RCEM CPD event.
As flagged in recent days we face a difficult decision concerning whether or not gathering together c500 emergency medicine professionals in Bournemouth for our conference is a responsible idea given the situation with Covid-19. Many of you will have seen the CMO’s statement today saying we are now moving into the ‘delay’ phase. All of you will be experiencing the workload problems that have been generated. In the next few days as the work changes from swabbing the relatively well to managing the sick it is going to get more and more complicated.
In making a decision we have to weigh up the value of an important educational event for our members and fellows, against the risks of infection a massed gathering entails and the reality of staffing concerns. The risk of the delegates needing to self-isolate after the event and the public perception of this makes the decision very important
We need a calm, proportionate response to these events but we have to act responsibly and be seen to be responsible. We have to balance our duty to our patients and to our Fellows and Members. The risks of going ahead in a fast-developing public health emergency seem too great to contemplate and repercussions would be painful.
If we were a College that was concerned with non-critical care, then we might well feel confident to proceed with the Conference as the risk of a sizeable proportion of our workforce being able to self isolate in the event of an issue would not compromise patient safety. However that is not the case for us. We have a unique position in this although I fear our ICU colleagues will soon be feeling the strain.
Having discussed the situation with Exec. I feel I have to recommend to you that we cancel the Spring CPD conference. The costs of this decision are in the order of c£325k in refunds due for tickets and abortive costs. I am also aware of all the huge amount of hard work that has gone into the planning of this conference and that it was shaping up to be a truly fabulous event. Simon, Diana and the events team led by Harriet have done so much.’
It is very odd reading the emails now – there was so much uncertainty about what was going to happen. We were aware we might be overreacting – if you remember Cheltenham races went ahead on 10-13 March but by 23 March we were in lockdown. Our conferences and study days as well as exams and College meetings went online as we all dealt with the pandemic. What was a hard decision then now seems completely obvious.
Restarting face to face events has also not been entirely straightforward particularly given how far in advance venues need to be booked but I think we have got this right. We have learnt a lot and our conference offering is now stronger than it was. Bournemouth 2022 is a fully hybrid conference – there are about 240 here in person and over 300 online. The conference is all recorded and all delegates will have access to the recordings for the next 12 months. We have chat and Q&A functions on the App – useable by in-person and virtual delegates alike. We no longer need to print lots of paper programmes which end up in landfill. Virtual conferences have opened our events to people who previously would have found it difficult to come. Childcare, travel time as well as the conference days away just too much to contemplate, not to mention the expense of hotels can make it hard to attend in person and so we have seen how we can pull in a new audience for our events. That being said it has been lovely to see so many colleagues here – people I have not seen for two years – and seeing people chatting and comparing notes has been fabulous. The sun came out in Bournemouth yesterday and it felt special to be by the seaside and great to be able to focus on talking about the sort of care we aspire to give our patients. We all know the pandemic is not over – our departments are struggling like never before, our rotas are decimated and our corridors are full – but for a few lovely hours it has been great to focus on our clinical knowledge and skills, see clinical passion from our colleagues and appreciate how good EM people are at presenting in an engaging way.
Back in the real-world life for EM patients and staff is not good. Exit block in every nation is crippling our ability to deliver a safe service to our patients. Ambulance delays are acute, and the public is increasingly aware that calling 999 may not get the prompt response they expect and need. The next few months are going to be very hard while circulating Covid levels remain high. The recently published British Social Attitudes Survey by The Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund found that overall satisfaction with the NHS fell to 36 per cent, and sadly satisfaction with Accident and Emergency Services fell by 15 percentage points, from 54% in 2020 to 39%. The dissatisfaction that the public feel with A&E services is understandable, Emergency Medicine staff are also dissatisfied and tired of being unable to deliver the high-quality effective care they are trained to provide. There must be an unscheduled care recovery plan to match the elective recovery plan. For months we have been highlighting the crisis that Urgent and Emergency Care services are facing, the significant threats to patient safety, the moral injury facing staff, the crowded Emergency Departments and long waiting times and the danger these pose. We have made it very clear that pre-ED cohorting of patients in tents is unacceptable. A tent does not solve the underlying problem of no flow, no beds and the lack of social care facilities. It is tiring for us all to keep having to state what seems so obvious – there is real trouble in the NHS. The narrative from the centre is failing to make us feel that the problems are going to openly discussed and priorities explained. We can all see the competing issues but both patients, their relatives and the NHS workforce deserve an honest assessment of how we are going to try and make things better.
Best wishes,
Dr Katherine Henderson
President, Royal College of Emergency Medicine
@RCEMpresident
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Dr Adrian Boyle elected as next RCEM President
We are delighted to announce that Dr Adrian Boyle has been elected as our next President.
Dr Adrian Boyle is an Emergency Medicine Consultant at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and has been serving as Vice President of The Royal College for Policy and was previously Chair of the Quality Committee for six years.
Dr Adrian Boyle will be the fourth President of The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, but he will be the organisation’s seventh President since its inception as The College of Emergency Medicine, incorporated by Royal Charter in 2008. Dr Boyle will formally take up his post as President in October 2022.
Dr Boyle said: “I am honoured to have been elected by Members and Fellows of The Royal College of Emergency Medicine to be the next President. It is a privilege to follow in Dr Henderson’s footsteps, and I will bring the same passion and advocacy that Dr Henderson has brought over the past three years.
#CountMeIn – help us improve representation by filling in your College profile
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.
James Lind Alliance – tell us what you think should be the research priorities be in EM
RCEM are currently undertaking a refresh of the priority setting partnership carried out in collaboration with the James Lind Alliance in 2017. If you have a view on what the research priorities in Emergency Medicine should be, please complete the relevant survey, which can be accessed here.
Updated ambulance handover delays guidance
Following stories about the use of tents outside EDs to enable ambulance offloads, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the College of Paramedics have issued updated guidance, laying out the best alternative options available to hospitals.
Commenting on the update to the document originally published in 2020, RCEM Vice President, Dr Ian Higginson said: “For the avoidance of doubt RCEM does not support the use of tents or other temporary structures in which to hold patients who arrive by ambulance, unless it is part of a major incident response. We are republishing our options appraisal for ambulance handover delays to make this clear. This document is published jointly with the College of Paramedics.
“Holding patients in ambulances or tents outside EDs, or in corridors and other non-clinical spaces inside, is an awful experience for patients and staff and is associated with harm and death. Ambulance services and EDs are being asked to come up with increasingly unacceptable ways to manage the problem of delayed handovers and ED crowding, whilst there is manifest failure to properly deal with the root causes of the problem within hospitals and the wider system, including social care. Whilst we are trying to patch holes in the bodywork, the wheels have come off.”
The full guidance can be read here.
Government sets out next steps for living with covid
The government has issued a statement on next steps including mask wearing for staff. Key points include:
You can read the full statement here.
A letter from NHS England and NHS Improvement further sets out the approach to delivering the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) advice in relation to staff and patient testing.
Learning from Emergency Medicine compensation claims
NHS Resolution has published a set of three reports which explore clinical issues that contribute to compensation claims within Emergency Departments.
The first report looks at high-value and fatality-related claims over £1m; the second report assesses missed fractures; and the third report evaluates hospital-acquired pressure ulcers and falls in ED. Each report also contains clear recommendations to help prevent further incidents. One of the main findings across all the reports is that ED clinical services should provide timely identification of diagnoses and treatment plans for patients.
You can read NHS Resolution’s news story and the reports here, and our press statement here.
Virtual support for Ukraine
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Royal College of Emergency Medicine are working collaboratively to repurpose and develop virtual materials to support healthcare delivery in Ukraine.
We are seeking clinicians willing to film clinical skills videos (covering as wide a range of clinical topics as possible) and particularly Doctors, Nurses & AHP’s who are fluent Ukrainian/Polish speakers to provide narration.
A short survey has been created to help capture information of those wanting to assist and as well as any other helpful contacts or information. The survey can be found here.
Should you like to review the resources for virtual support created with Myanmar, you can find videos here and protocols here.
If you have any queries please contact globalem@rcem.ac.uk
Joint statement on Ukraine
RCEM was a joint signatory to a statement from the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, calling for healthcare workers and healthcare facilities in Ukraine to be protected. Read the statement here.
PIPP project update
The Psychologically Informed Policy and Practice (PIPP) project have now met with speciality/SAS doctors, ST1-ST8 doctors, ED consultants and advanced care practitioners to talk about their working conditions. However, we are still looking for clinical leads and nurses! If you would like to participate in the PIP project please see below for more information and register your interest here.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee update
The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee (EDI) recently met to progress the College’s commitment to promoting diversity and acting against discrimination and inequality experienced by colleagues. Some of the topics discussed in the meeting included:
The College is now working on a landmark report in relation to differential report. The Committee will be kept up to date with the progress of the Nationality and Borders Bill through Parliament. For more information on how you can support the #CountMeIn campaign please see the relevant update.
Take part in the 2022 national training survey
The General Medical Council’s (GMC) 2022 national training survey is now open until 3 May.
The survey gives trainees and trainers an opportunity to share their views on postgraduate training in the UK.
The results give the GMC, medical education bodies, and employers the data they need to check that trainees are receiving high-quality training, and that trainers are supported in their roles. This year’s survey will also provide vital information about the ongoing impact of the pandemic on doctors’ progression, work, and wellbeing.
If you’re eligible to complete the survey, you’ll receive an email from the GMC inviting you to take part. You can fill it in on a mobile phone, tablet, or desktop computer; and you can save and return to your answers at several points.
Complete your survey today by logging in to your GMC Online account or visit www.gmc-uk.org/nts for more information about how your answers drive change.
EMJ’s latest issue is now online
Content highlights include:
Is ‘sepsis’ a failed paradigm?
E-scooter incidents in Berlin: an evaluation of risk factors and injury patterns
Prognostic accuracy of triage tools for adults with suspected COVID-19 in a prehospital setting: an observational cohort study
You can browse the entire April issue here.
You may also be interested in EMJ’s most read articles of last year, take the time to check out EMJ’s top cited articles of 2021.
Fundraising update
Thanks to the kindness and support of RCEM members for our 2021 Winter Appeal, we were able to show our serious intention to support the development of Emergency Medicine in Uganda. We managed to raise an incredible £6000 and have additionally secured another £24,000 from Health Education England to support this work.
These funds will go directly towards the following key areas:
A visit to the main sites and meeting with key stakeholders in May will determine how we can make the best impact with the money raised. Thank you so much to all that supported this crucial appeal, your donations will make a lasting difference to so many. Expect further updates as this work takes place to see what you have helped us achieve.
Global Emergency Medicine Update
Egypt
A delegation from RCEM visited the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Minister of Health and Population in Cairo, Egypt. The meeting discussed the results of the delegation’s visit to a number of hospitals in the Ministry of Health and Population, where the British Royal College approved the training process of the Egyptian Fellowship Program in the specialization of emergency medicine in three hospitals including (Dar Al-Shafa – Al-Ahli Bank – Sheikh Zayed Specialized).
Further details are available here and here.
Ghana
RCEM are working in partnership with the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ghana and will visit Ghana in April 2022 in a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) / Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) funded project. The team are providing support in relation to their local EM curriculum, Training the Trainer programme and their programme of assessments.
Uganda
RCEM are working with Health Education England the Uganda UK Health Alliance and the leading members of the Uganda Emergency Medicine faculty to support plans to deliver virtual training to the 2 main teaching hospitals and 4 regional referral hospitals identified by the Uganda Ministry of Health. Over the next few months RCEM will be joining key workshops and scoping visits to assess where RCEM can support the development of EM in Uganda. These plans will also be boosted by the funds raised by RCEM members as part of the Winter Appeal.
Membership Renewal 2022
Your 2022 membership is now ready for you to renew. This year we have made the process electronic and we have recently emailed you with renewal details for your RCEM membership. Please check your spam folder or contact memberhsip@rcem.ac.uk of you haven’t received anything
Your 2022 annual subscription is now available to pay online via https://www.rcem.ac.uk/subscriptions2022
If you have queries regarding your 2022 membership subscription then please get in touch with us by phone (020 7404 1999), email (membership@rcem.ac.uk) or live webchat via our website (http://rcem.ac.uk)
Get involved!
We have a number of opportunities for members to get involved with the workings of the College and help set the direction of our boards and committees.
Role profiles and person specifications for all roles can be found at rcem.ac.uk/volunteering-2
West Midlands Regional Chair vacancy
We are excited to share that RCEM is looking for a new West Midlands Regional Chair!
We are looking for someone who is passionate about advocating for the West Midlands and interested in getting more involved with the College and key decision making.
If you are a Fellow, work in a substantive consultant role in the West Midlands and you are interested in representing your region, developing your career, and developing your influencing skills then we would be delighted to hear from you.
The purpose of this role is to act as a voice for your region. We will work with you to in time establish a regional board and build relationships with local policymakers and the media. You will be working with the close support of the experienced and dedicated RCEM Policy team. Your contribution as chair will support our ability to flag challenges faced by emergency departments in the West Midlands.
The application process is non-competitive, and you do not need prior experience to apply for this role. For further information, please see the job description and FAQs here. The nominations form can be found here.
If you are interested in the role or have any questions, please feel welcome to get in touch with Daisy Harmer at daisy.harmer@rcem.ac.uk Finally, please share this call out with your networks and anyone you know that would be suited to the role!
Latest press releases
PPE
Following the previous announcement on the extension of free COVID-19 PPE until the end of March 2023 the Government has launched a new personal protective equipment (PPE) website.
Academy National SAS conference – 13 May
Booking is now open for the Academy’s national SAS conference hosted by RCS England on 13 May 2022. This hybrid event will cover a range of topics of relevance and interest to all specialties such as how to maximise SAS career potential and how to maintain wellbeing. Delegates will also be invited to attend a free virtual CESR conference organised in collaboration with Health Education England South West and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges on Thursday 12 May 2022. You can find more information about the programme and booking via the link.
RespectED – our anti-bullying campaign to challenge toxic behaviour in EDs
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.
SARS-CoV-2 screening practices in A&E departments across the United Kingdom
We are now approaching two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The accuracy and speed at which COVID-19 is diagnosed in patients newly admitted to hospital has a wide impact on patient safety, management, and flow. Several rapid tests have now been designed to help diagnosis and triage patients who have COVID-19 or may be at risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2 to others. How rapid tests are used in different hospitals is not clear. Knowledge of how others are screening for SARS-CoV-2 will help optimise practices nationally.
This service evaluation aims to determine how A&E departments across the UK are screening for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viral pathogens.
The survey can be completed here: https://forms.gle/pcE145Sd4TQXMgrFA
Parents! Apply now for The Leaders Plus Fellowship Programme
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
EM-Day survey: How the work overload is affecting personal wellbeing and happiness
The pandemic has put a lot of stress on the emergency medical services, and above all the personnel that is working in them. The EM-day is proposing a short survey with the aim to evaluate the dimension of the stress and fatigue of the EM personnel during the pandemics.
The results of this investigation will be available to everyone and proposed to the political stakeholders to explain the situation with objective data and to ask for more attention and recognition.
EUSEM want to underline the importance of collecting a big number of data to make this survey more significant and convincing. You are warmly invited to respond and to invite all your colleagues to do the same. Take the survey here
Frailty and geriatric specialists network
RCEM’s Frailty Special Interest Group is looking to create a network of frailty leads and geriatric specialists in EDs across the UK. We’re hoping by creating this network to share geriatric EM updates along with any relevant new tools, resources, and guidance in a frailty-specific newsletter. If you’d like to be involved in this network, please email FrailtyChair@rcem.ac.uk with your background in geriatric medicine and your current hospital. Many thanks, RCEM’s Quality Team.
COVID-19 Resources
Stay up to date with the latest coronavirus guidance, including information on testing here.
EUSEM Academy
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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
Follow our Officers on Twitter
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:
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Ultrasound: train the trainers and level 1 workshop
Date: 28 April 2022
This one day course is designed to upskill these future departmental leads and mentor them in the specifics of teaching and assessing ultrasound. It will also cover aspects of developing governance and the new sign off processes. There will also be a level 1 course running in parallel that the trainers will teach on, supported by the faculty. Delegates will attend separate lectures and then join together for hands-on-training sessions throughout the day.
View the programme online and book now
Agents of change
Date: 29 April 2022
This study day will give you the unique opportunity to hear from the Medical Director of Public Health England and other top Public Health experts. We will consider how to identify and address inequalities in an emergency department. Gain some basic skills in public health advocacy and prepare for your role as agents of change by tackling the major causes of premature death and issues driving the demand across the healthcare system.
View the programme online and book now
Careers Day
Date: 4 May 2022
This event will provide a mixture of clinically based lectures interspersed with advice about emergency medicine training. You will have the opportunity to take part in an interactive panel debate with speakers to ask what you always wanted to know about EM but were afraid to ask. Speakers are a mixture of consultants and registrars. Please let students and others in your network know about this day.
View the programme online and book now
Catch-up with past events
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:
View all past events and book now
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Press statements
Winter Flow Project 2021/22
Our annual Winter Flow Project looks at a sample of trusts and boards throughout the UK to see how their Emergency Departments are performing and what difficulties they are facing each week across the winter period.
This year’s project is collecting the following data points on a weekly basis from over 35 trusts & boards:
The project began in October 2021 and it’s latest findings show that since October, there have been 63,563 12hr waits.
Weekly reports and data visualisations are available on our website now. Reports for March 2022 are below:
For queries or further information about the project please contact theo.chiles@rcem.ac.uk
RCEM CARES: The Next Phase
There is a severe mismatch between demand and capacity in the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) system. The unparalleled levels of demand placed on EDs has not been met with sufficient investment into the NHS. EDs now sustain other parts of the system and are the first port of call for many patients, despite not always being the most appropriate place to receive care. The pandemic has exacerbated many of these challenges and there is an urgent obligation to plan for the future healthcare needs of the UK. Eliminating overcrowding must be the number one priority.
Our RCEM CARES campaign provides solutions to address these pressing issues so that ED staff can deliver safe and timely care for patients. The campaign focuses on five key areas: Crowding, Access, Retention, Experience, and Safety.
In RCEM CARES: The Next Phase, we revisit our original policy asks in light of COVID-19 and begin to explore what happens next. Read it here.
Performance Figures
A summary of all the latest performance figures for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can be found here.
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RCEM guidance
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), has updated this clinical guidance to support the detection and management of clinical cases of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.
Safety updates
We have a number of vacancies across quality and service delivery committees.
RCEM Public Health Special Interest Group Chair – Honorary post
The RCEM Public Health Special Interest Group was established in January 2017 with the vision to provide an integrated approach to strengthening the interface between public health and emergency care in order to improve health. An opportunity to chair this exciting and innovative specialist interest group for a term of 3 years.
Quality in Emergency Care Committee Chair – Honorary Post
The QEC committee looks at all areas of quality, the committee is looking for a new chair with previous experience of attending the QEC committee. With an opportunity to make a difference and chair this central group for a term of 3 years.
RCEM Best Practice Sub-Committee Chair – Honorary post
The College is looking for a new member with experience of Best Practice in Emergency Medicine to join the Best Practice Sub-Committee as a chair.
RCEM Older People SIG are recruiting 3 new members – non-clinical and non-consultant grades welcome.
RCEM Toxicology chair
The College is looking for a new member with experience of Toxicology in Emergency Medicine to join the Toxicology Special Interest Group as a chair.
Details of all roles can be found here.
QIPS
We are still taking registrations for the QIPs, all the details can be found here. Should you have any questions please email quality@rcem.ac.uk
The QIP 2020 – 2021 Pain in Children and Infection prevention and control report has recently been published and can be viewed here. The 2020 – 2021 Infection Prevention and Control QIP National Report can also be viewed here.
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RCEM Membership Renewal 2022
You will have recently received an email giving details on how to renew your RCEM membership. To renew your membership please click here to access your RCEM account and pay online. Please note that failure to provide payment by 30th April 2022 will unfortunately result in your membership being lapsed. Should you have any queries please get in touch with us via phone (020 7404 1999), email (membership@rcem.ac.uk) or webchat via our website (rcem.ac.uk)
Direct debit is the easiest way to pay for your membership and we offer monthly as well as annual payment options. Sign up today to pay your 2022 subs via direct debit.
Your membership provides you with access to the support, education, resources and training we offer to members throughout their careers in EM. Below are just some of the benefits to maintaining your RCEM membership throughout 2022 and beyond.
If you have any queries related to your membership then please get in touch with us via telephone (020 7404 1999), email (membership@rcem.ac.uk) or webchat via our website (rcem.ac.uk)
RCEM Merchandise
Following our recent rebranding, new RCEM merchandise is now available in our online shop. Thermal travel mugs, hoodies, notebooks, water bottles and other items can be bought via https://www.rcemshop.co.uk/ so get your merch and show your EM pride!
#CountMeIn Campaign
We have launched the #CountMeIn campaign, working to ensure that the specialty is inclusive, fair and equitable. To get involved, please fill in your profile here https://bit.ly/RCEM-CountMeIn
Although we know Emergency Medicine is diverse, we are unable to fully evidence the extent of this diversity and completing your profile will allow us to better understand you and the Emergency Medicine workforce. Without this, we cannot advocate on your behalf and the info you provide will:
Please ensure you fill in your profile and if you have any queries about the campaign, please contact policy@rcem.ac.uk
Member Engagement Group – Get involved and have your say!
RCEM’s Member Engagement Group (MEG) is a way of engaging members and obtaining feedback on what we do. The MEG’s valuable insights will allow us to deliver an even better service and will also mean that we can more effectively support you, your fellow members and all Emergency Medicine staff.
Being part of this group is an opportunity for you to contribute to the College, engage directly with its staff and inform what we do and how we do it. We are hoping to add to the diverse group of members already in the MEG to provide insight into our work as well as feeding back on how we are doing and what we could do better. The time commitment isn’t onerous (approximately six online surveys and six meetings per year and attendance isn’t compulsory) and you can join at any time.
Further information can be found on our website (https://rcem.ac.uk/member-engagement-group/) and if you would like to find out more about the MEG then please contact Jen (jennifer.barley@rcem.ac.uk).
Are you making the most of your EMJ subscription?
For members with an EMJ subscription access is available online as well as through the traditional monthly paper copy. If you have any queries about the delivery of your subscription or how to access the EMJ online the membership team are happy to help – membership@rcem.ac.uk
There is also the option to make your EMJ subscription online only so email us if you would like to switch to your preference.
RCEM Lifestyle Rewards
All members have the benefit of being able to enjoy RCEM Lifestyle Rewards at any time via https://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 is:
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Winternational An online designer ski wear boutique for women selling the finest luxury ski wear. Members save 15% across the range… |
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Millichamp & Hall An international reputation for crafting high performance cricket bats for players of all ages and abilities. Members save 20% |
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Katherine PARTIS Save 10% on Holebrook Sweden clothing, Orca Bay shoes and boots, Pelle P clothing and outerwear and Stagbeetle boots. Jumpers, windstoppers, jackets… |
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PlainSailing.com Award-winning Yacht & Catamaran Charter Experts. We can arrange you a luxury holiday on a private yacht or catamaran in the sunshine – cheaper than you think! |
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Mr.Wheeler Wine A carefully-chosen selection of outstanding wines to suit a variety of pockets. Members save 10% on their first order! |
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Ivy & Duke Save 10% on our fantastic range of luxury waterproof and fabric memory foam dog beds. The perfect bed for your dog, your home and travelling. |
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Menteath Small batch organic skincare, thoughtfully crafted, slowly blended, and lovingly infused for each season of the year. Members save 20% across the range. |
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Dental & Medical Mortgages Specialist providers for the medical sector, finding the mortgage that suits you best, whether your situation is straightforward or a little more complex. |
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Forest Gallery Our gallery showcases some of the best British and internationally selected original artworks at affordable prices. Members save an exclusive 10% |
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StartSmart Providing smart, high quality children’s clothing. Classic styles with a modern twist for the busy lifestyle we all lead today! Save 10% on super smart, classic & everyday clothing. |
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FeastBox World food recipe box for ambitious cooking, made simple. Members save 50% off your first 2 FeastBoxes! |
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Cordings Since 1839 Cordings have clothed explorers, rock stars and royalty in understated British clothing. Members save an exclusive 10% |
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The Pizza Oven Shop The Clementi pizza oven is one of the best pizza ovens on the market. Members save £100 on these incredible ovens! |
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Bella & Duke Natural raw dog food is 100% nutritious & delicious, designed by nutritionists & approved by vets. 50% off your first box + free delivery + free gift! |
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Gin Bothy Nestled in the Angus Glens of Scotland, Gin Bothy create small batch gins using foraged botanicals & fruit. Members save 10% on first order! |
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Latest publications
Here’s a selection of some of March’s most popular publications:
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Annual Quality Report 2020-21
Our Annual Quality Report has now been published is available to view online.
The aim of this first Annual Quality report (AQR) is to bring greater transparency around the quality of EM training to the wider RCEM membership and to make quality improvement recommendations. This report is a summation of recent training activity and quality improvement.
There have been challenges associated with all RCEM activity during the pandemic and the work published in this first report may span several training years and reflects a huge amount of work from RCEM Committee Members. The AQR is proposed as the culmination each year of quality improvement work with substantial data and activity transparent to all members.
There are aspects this year that we have not been able to include, but there is opportunity for it to be even better next year. It is our intention to publish the report and recommendations in order to make an ongoing annual improvement, to improve training and ultimately care for patients.
ACCS
We are working with our Intercollegiate ACCS partners to organise a Training Day for ACCS Educators on 04 May and a virtual online seminar on 13 May 2022. If you are interested in attending these events, please email training@rcem.ac.uk.
Careers
We have scheduled a face-to-face Careers event on 04 May 2022. More details can be found on our website.
Global Emergency Medicine Update
Egypt
A delegation from RCEM visited the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Minister of Health and Population in Cairo, Egypt. The meeting discussed the results of the delegation’s visit to a number of hospitals in the Ministry of Health and Population, where the British Royal College approved the training process of the Egyptian Fellowship Program in the specialization of emergency medicine in three hospitals including (Dar Al-Shafa – Al-Ahli Bank – Sheikh Zayed Specialized).
Further details are available here and here.
Ghana
RCEM are working in partnership with the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ghana and will visit Ghana in April 2022 in a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) / Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) funded project. The team are providing support in relation to their local EM curriculum, Training the Trainer programme and their programme of assessments.
Uganda
RCEM are working with Health Education England the Uganda UK Health Alliance and the leading members of the Uganda Emergency Medicine faculty to support plans to deliver virtual training to the 2 main teaching hospitals and 4 regional referral hospitals identified by the Uganda Ministry of Health. Over the next few months RCEM will be joining key workshops and scoping visits to assess where RCEM can support the development of EM in Uganda. These plans will also be boosted by the funds raised by RCEM members as part of the Winter Appeal.
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Differential Attainment
In 2022 the College is bringing differential attainment back to the top of the agenda.
The College is working on a report into differential attainment and needs your help to support this report by completing the data requested as part of the Count Me In campaign. By updating your demographic profile, as part of your profile on the College website, you will enable the College to have improved data on our Examiners and Trainee body. This will enable more meaningful findings and actions to derive from the report which will support the delivery of more meaningful change to combat differential attainment.
Examiners Needed
The College recently posted a video from Will Townsend, College Dean, highlighting the need for MRCEM OSCE exam. The College requires 18 Examiners a day for the MRCEM OSCE to run successfully. If you are interested in becoming an Examiner and supporting the College in this capacity, please see here for more information. SAS grade clinicians are eligible become Examiners.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Exams Team on exams@rcem.ac.uk.
The College is underrepresented by woman and ethnic minorities at Examiner level, and we would welcome applications from individuals within those demographics.
International Examiner recruitment – Malaysia and India
In September 2022, the eagerly anticipated MRCEM OSCE will be taking place in Malaysia for the first time. The College is now recruiting International MRCEM Examiners based in Malaysia. Successful applicants will be required to attend examiner training on 5 September 2022 in Kuala Lumpur.
The College is also recruiting MRCEM Examiners in India to support the ongoing delivery of MRCEM OSCE at various centres in India. Examiner training will be delivered immediately before each MRCEM OSCE diet in India and all examiners will be required to attend training before examining in 2022.
The examiner regulations are available here.
The online examiner application form is available here.
Please direct all queries regarding becoming an examiner to Ruby.sutcliffe@rcem.ac.uk
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Institute of Health and Social Care Management – Virtual wards
This report discusses virtual wards, an innovation due to be implemented at scale in the NHS as a method of addressing patient waiting lists. With the help of remote treatment options and supported by technology, patients are monitored and cared for in their own homes. The report lists the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee – Government preparedness for the Covid-19 pandemic: lessons for government on risk
This report concludes that the UK government was underprepared for a pandemic like Covid-19 and also failed to learn from both simulation exercises and actual incidents. It also expresses concerns about the government approach to risk management and says it must introduce robust central leadership, accountability and oversight for cross-cutting risks.
The King’s Fund – Briefing on the Health and Care Bill: House of Lords Report stage
The King’s Fund supports much of the Health and Care Bill, however there are four priority areas they believe require amendment: reconfiguration powers; powers to direct NHS England; workforce; and the cap on social care costs.
The Department of Health and Social Care’s written evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) for the 2022 to 2023 pay round
The NHSPRB has been asked to make pay recommendations for the pay round 2022 to 2023. This written evidence seeks to enable the NHSPRB to make independent recommendations, weighing all of the evidence, including the importance of affordability within the current challenging economic and fiscal context, along with recruitment and retention trends and staff motivation.
NHS Confederation – Governing the health and care system in England: creating the conditions for success
This report outlines the changes needed to create the conditions in which integrated care systems can improve outcomes for patients and the public, and outlines rules to guide those leading the reform programme.
NHS Confederation – Principles for the first year of system regulation
The Health and Care Bill offers the legislative framework to accelerate integration and partnership working. However, if regulation and oversight arrangements are overly burdensome and not fit for purpose, there is a risk that leaders of integrated care systems will be inhibited in progressing towards integration, partnership working and driving the improvements in care the pandemic has shown are needed. This report sets out a set of principles that should drive the actions of regulators over the first year of system regulation and oversight.
Institute for Public Policy Research – The state of health and care 2022
According to this report, a long-term decline in NHS access and quality, rapidly accelerated by the pandemic, has begun a trend of people opting for private health care and products. The report warns that this growing ‘opt out’ is a symptom of the NHS being under-resourced, and struggling to recruit and retain the workforce it needs to deliver truly universal care. It argues that tackling long waiting times and poor outcomes is vital to ensuring the long-term survival of the NHS and arresting the trend towards an unequal two-tier system that increases health inequalities.
DHSC – Revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care: consultation response
The government conducted a public consultation from 9 to 16 February 2022 on whether to revoke provisions that require Covid-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment in health and social care settings. This is the formal government response to that consultation. The government’s response confirms that it intends to proceed with bringing forward regulations to revoke vaccination as a condition of deployment.
NHS Employers – Improving staff retention: a guide for line managers and employers
This guide supports line managers and employers to consider the key areas that affect workforce retention. It includes the enablers of retention, the organisational priorities that need to be in place to support employees and the practical interventions that directly impact on employees’ experience at work. It is aimed at anyone who has a responsibility for improving staff experience and morale, and reducing turnover in their organisation, including HR managers and line managers.
Policy Exchange – At your service: a proposal to reform general practice and enable digital healthcare at scale
This report sets out a proposal for reform to general practice, addressing issues around integration, workforce, digital transformation and scaled provision. It argues that a new model of general practice is required to better meet the needs of patients and the taxpayer.
NHS Providers – Race 2.0: time for real change
This report highlights the scale and scope of the challenge to improve racial equality across the NHS, alongside the commitment of boards, trust leaders and NHS Providers to drive real change in this area. The report sets out trust leaders’ views on what constitutes good practice. Ten key priorities were identified, including: building closer engagement with staff and community networks; fostering safe spaces; better education; focusing on personal values and behaviours; and openly challenging discrimination. But despite this good practice, the new report also found just 4 per cent of trust leaders said race equality was fully embedded as part of their board’s business.
GMC – Equality, diversity and inclusion: targets, progress and priorities for 2022
The GMC has published its first update on progress towards the equality, diversity and inclusion targets it set last year. The report shows: the gap between employer referral rates for ethnic minority doctors and international medical graduates, compared with white doctors, has reduced slightly; fairness measures for medical education and training remain at similar levels; as an employer, the GMC has improved ethnic minority workforce representation at all levels and progression rates for ethnic minority staff.
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee – NHS backlogs and waiting times in England
This report finds that the NHS has not met the 18-week maximum waiting time standard for elective care since February 2016 nor the eight key standards for cancer care in totality since 2014. It concludes that any transparent and realistic assessment of what elective and cancer care services can achieve by 2024–25 needs to include an assessment of the number of staff that will be available, how staff who have been working under intense and consistent pressure will be supported, and how patients will be kept informed about their own progress through waiting lists.
New elearning resource provides knowledge and skills in violence reduction that supports healthcare delivery
The NHS London Violence Reduction Programme has worked with Health Education England (HEE) to design a new elearning resource that will equip NHS staff with valuable skills to support violence reduction in local communities across England.
The self-guided online training will be delivered across two sessions: the first introduces a theory-based approach to understand the causes of violence, whilst the second is a more practical session identifying the role of healthcare services in violence reduction and identifying those at risk. The resource can also be used to stimulate wider conversations about violence reduction within a range of group learning environments, such as workshops and team meetings.
The elearning resource will be delivered through the HEE elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh) Hub, which is free for all NHS staff to access. You can register for a new account or sign in to your existing elfh Hub account and search for the Violence Reduction Programme or access the resource directly.
Read more about the work of the NHS Violence Reduction Programme.
Read more about the elearning resource on the elfh website.
If you have any questions about the new elearning resource, drop the team an email.
NHS ConfedExpo | 15 – 16 June 2022 | ACC Liverpool
Delivered in partnership by NHS Confederation, NHS England and NHS Improvement, NHS ConfedExpo will bring together leaders from across the health and care profession for a two-day conference and exhibition.
Set to be one of the most significant events in the health care calendar, the landmark event will explore the five key themes of People, Quality & clinical improvement, Health Inequalities, Collaboration & partnerships and Driving recovery.
Speakers include Amanda Pritchard (NHS England), Matthew Taylor (NHS Confederation), David Olusoga (Historian, Broadcaster, Filmmaker), Victoria Macdonald (Channel 4 News) and Lord Victor Adebowale (NHS Confederation).
NHS Employees can claim FREE passes to attend. Passes are available online.
NHS England statement on Ukraine
The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the surrounding region, grows each day.
Kindness and compassion are at the heart of the NHS, so it is no surprise that so many colleagues are looking at what the NHS can do to help, and what contribution each of us can make to the response.
The NHS has been working with government to provide life-saving treatment to 21 children with cancer at hospitals across the country.
These families arrived earlier this month, escorted and cared for by an exceptional group of colleagues from Southampton and Birmingham.
Our colleagues who travelled to Poland and accompanied our new patients back, demonstrated the very best characteristics of the NHS, working as they did with the compassion, professionalism and resilient focus on health and wellbeing which typify the actions of NHS staff in moments of crisis.
Further planning for support as requested by government, is underway, whether that is those who have had their treatment interrupted, have been injured or those who have become refugees.
Through our coordinated work with DHSC, the UK has already provided over 650,000 medicines and medical items such as wound packs and intensive care equipment, deployed a humanitarian team to the region, and is exploring further options to stand with our Ukrainian friends.
To be most effective for the people who need it, these support efforts must be properly co-ordinated, as part of the overall UK Government-led response.
This allows us to ensure that:
As such, we ask that, rather than trying to contact Ukrainian or neighbouring authorities directly with offers of support, NHS organisations direct their contributions to England.incident14@nhs.net.
The government has published further information on how the public can help with support for Ukraine, which includes details of the Disasters Emergency Committee, a coalition of 15 leading UK charities, which has launched its collective appeal to provide emergency aid and rapid relief to civilians suffering during the conflict.
Mental Capacity Act
DHSC has launched a joint public consultation with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) on proposed changes to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Code of Practice for England and Wales, which includes guidance on the new Liberty Protections Safeguards (LPS) system. The consultation closes at 11:45pm on 7 July 2022.
NICE methods research priorities: A virtual event to continue the journey
NICE is holding a free online event to discuss the ongoing methods research it is undertaking in collaboration with partners in the UK and Europe and how it will support the implementation of NICE’s strategy. The event will take place 11am – 12:15pm on 31 March and is designed for academics/researchers, ALBs, royal colleges, specialist societies, digital health developers and industry bodies. Find out more about our methods research priorities event and how to register.
NHS Parliamentary Awards 2022 – nominations open
Nominations for the NHS Parliamentary Awards 2022 are now open until midnight on 6 April.
The NHS Parliamentary Awards provide an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your work to local MPs, making them aware of all you do to provide the best care possible to patients.
There are ten categories in this year’s awards, including the COVID Response Award, which is new for 2022.
If you know of a project or person who could win an award this year, you can download documents from this page to support you in submitting a suggested nomination to your local MP(s).
Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
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The first call for help takes courage. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or wellbeing problems, expert help is available from Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.
If you’re due to leave the Armed Forces, just left the Armed Forces or left many years ago, Op COURAGE is here to help. You will be able to speak to people who:
The service can be contacted directly by yourself or you can ask your GP, a charity or someone else, such as a family member or friend, to do this on your behalf.
What will happen when you contact Op COURAGE
To make sure you get the right care and support, you will first have an assessment by someone who understands the specific needs of the Armed Forces community.
The service offers a range of treatment, which includes:
For more information, visit the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/opcourage
Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service is the new name for the Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS), Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS) and Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS). The new name has been developed following feedback from veterans and their families to make it easier for those leaving the military and veterans to find help.
