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I can hardly believe it is September already. I felt a little sorry for all of the children going back to school just as the weather had improved.
Hopefully, the new starters in our specialty are beginning to find their feet a bit more.
Once upon a time, the summer months were considered to be a ‘quieter’ time when EDs could take stock, and a breath, after the stresses of the winter. But this year especially those days seem feel very long gone – consistently high attendances, coupled with the traditional holiday season – add in a period of industrial action to boot, there really has been no respite for busy EM clinicians.
Last month also saw the conviction of the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby which was met across the profession with a mix of disbelief and horror. Older clinicians will remember the parallels with the Beverly Allitt and Harold Shipman cases.
There has been a lot of discussion about how systems could change so that these rare, but important cases, are identified as quickly as possible.
There is going to be a Statutory Public Inquiry and it would be premature to second guess the findings.
However, previous public inquiries have led to substantial changes in the way the NHS is regulated. It is likely that the Letby inquiry will also lead to changes and the College will be watching this carefully.
The General Medical Council has published an update to Good Medical Practice, nearly 10 years after the last major revision.
There are a number of changes that we need to be aware of, but these standards do not come into force until January 2024.
There is a welcome recognition that promoting inclusivity and tackling discrimination is important.
I reflected on the specific standards around sexual harassment of colleagues in a short blog - Good medical practice – why we all deserve to be RespectED at work, and beyond – Dispatches from RCEM
Autumn is party conference season and with Labour reshuffling this week it certainly feels like we are moving fully into the pre-election period.
RCEM’s Policy team does fantastic work helping to inform, educate and influence policy makers about the reality that our members and our patients are experiencing within EDs across the four nations, I really believe that our Policy team is the most effective of all the Royal Colleges. We continue to advocate for better care for the most seriously ill and injured, retention of workforce and emphasise tackling exit block and crowding
But September is certainly shaping up to be a busy month with two key elements related to this work – one of which we would very much like your help with.
RCEM will be launching our own ‘Manifesto’ based on our #ResuscitateEmergencyCare campaign. This provides our key principles, which if adopted by the next Government, will help to ease the huge challenges we face in EM.
Before we launch, we are asking our members to share their experiences of crowding, extreme waits, or inequality of care that they have witnessed or dealt with working in the ED.
We would like you to share these with us – removing anything that would identify you, your Trust or any patients – via email directly to our Policy team.
We won’t use your name or any details which would identify you – but we want to be able show policy makers and the public the reality of what is happening in UEC.
We will be asking for these via X (formerly Twitter) in the run up to #WorldPatientSafetyDay on 17 September but you don’t have to wait until then – please do get in touch – nothing is stronger or has more impact than personal testimonies. Your experiences are vital.
I will be sharing more details about our Manifesto at our Annual Scientific Conference at the end of the month – make sure you book by the 18 September so you don’t miss out.
We also hold the RCEM AGM during conference – find out how you can attend that remotely or in-person here.
After that I will be heading to the Conservative and Labour Party Conferences to continue our policy influencing work.
We know that a huge cohort of our patients in the ED are older people and I am very glad to have been given the chance to take part in a panel event at the Labour Conference with Parkinsons UK and the British Geriatric Society looking at this very important issue.
We are also expecting another period of Industrial action at the end of the month and leading into October – with some days seeing both Post Graduate Doctors in Training and Consultant striking.
As a result, the next Monthly Members’ Meeting has been cancelled. The next one will be on Thursday 27 October, and I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible – more details, and how to join can also be found on the link above.
Finally, many of you may have heard the unsolicited contributions of Tilly Boyle in various online meetings.
Though you may have heard her, few will have seen her. I thought I would put a face to the barks.
President, Royal College of Emergency Medicine
@RCEMpresident
RCEM will be launching our own ‘Manifesto’ based on our #ResusciateEmergencyCare campaign. This provides our key principles, which if adopted by the next Government, will help to ease the huge challenges we face in EM.
Before we launch, we are asking our members to share their experiences of crowding, extreme waits, or inequality of care that they have witnessed or dealt with working in the ED.
We would like you to share these with us – removing anything that would identity you, your Trust or any patients – via email directly to Policy team – policy@rcem.ac.uk.
We won’t use your name or any details which would identify you – but we want to be able show policy makers and the public the reality of what is happening in UEC.
We will also be asking for these via X (formerly Twitter) in the run up to #WorldPatientSafetyDay on 17 September but you don’t have to wait until then – please do get in touch – nothing is stronger or has more impact than personal testimonies.
Your experiences are vital.
Party conference season is almost upon us. Representatives from the Policy team will be supporting the President at these important influencing opportunities.
We are attending the Conservative and Labour conferences and have a packed schedule of meetings and events planned.
Including Adrian taking part in a in a panel event at the Labour Conference with Parkinsons UK and the British Geriatric Society looking at the very important issue of very important issue of older people in the ED.
Time is running out for you to make sure your voice is heard via our England Workforce Census.
Check with your Clinical Lead that your department has contributed its data to the RCEM Policy Team.
Date: 26 – 28 September 2023
You have only got until Monday 18 September to book your onsite ticket for this year’s Annual Scientific Conference. You don’t want to miss out on over 200 poster presentation, 50 oral abstracts and a range of national, and international, speakers giving cutting-edge updates on emergency medicine research and CPD. We can’t wait to see you there – book your place online today.
Date: 10 October
Hear expert speakers give a guide to assessment and management of delirium in the ED at this virtual study day. Develop your knowledge of delirium detection in the ED and consider different models of delivering delirium care. Book your place at Delirium in the ED today.
Register online for the Adolescents in the ED virtual study day.
It includes essential updates on safeguarding needs of young people, communication approaches, consent and capacity, and treatments options for acute mental and sexual health conditions.
All our virtual events are available for booking on-demand for nine-months after their live date. Register for an event on-demand so you can watch and learn at your own pace, whenever it suits you. Events include:
The College routinely sends a College Representative, also known as an Assessor, to attend recruitment panels across the UK (in-person and virtually) for consultant appointments interviews, known as Advisory Appointment Committees (AACs). Having an Assessor on a recruitment panel ensures transparency, fairness and equality is achieved for the candidates and appointing trust.
RCEM would love to extend the list of Assessors to improve availability and diversity while also relieving pressure on the Assessors who already support us. If you’re interested, more information can be found here, or email: mailto:AAC@rcem.ac.uk if you’re keen to sign up.
JRCALC updates the clinical guidance for UK paramedics on a regular basis. Recent changes (Oct 22) which may be relevant for Emergency Medicine clinicians to be aware of include the following:
Find out more details here – Updates | (jrcalc.org.uk)
We have also published our Best Practice Guidelines on Invasive Procedures in the Emergency Departmentwhich outlines the general approach to be taken by emergency medicine (EM) clinicians who undertake invasive procedures in adults and children in Eds.
We are pleased to announce that Totum Professionals (Totum PRO) discounts are now available to all RCEM members.
RCEM Members can now utilise Totum PRO membership to take advantage of discounts, offers and vouchers at over 350 national brands both online and on the high street. For just £9.99 a year, Totum PRO gives 10% off for every shop at Co-op as well as savings at Apple, Samsung, Boots, Halfords and many more plus a free Tastecard for 50% off or 2-for-1 deals at many high street restaurants. Sign up to access Totum PRO.
Whether to help professionally or with life outside of work, we also offer the following discounts to RCEM members:
From our three-day Spring CPD Conference and Annual Scientific Conference to individual study days, members can benefit from up to 40% the published fees whether attending virtually or in-person. We offer a range of events throughout the year which contribute towards your CPD requirements, and our full calendar of RCEM events is available here
Whether you’re looking for a unique gift idea or planning a well-deserved holiday, all RCEM members have the benefit of being able to enjoy RCEM Lifestyle Rewards at any time. Members receive new exclusive discounts and added value offers every month on a wide range of luxury products, services & experiences.
Here is a selection of the current offers available from RCEM Lifestyle Rewards:
Hattingley Valley Wines
Never had the pleasure of sipping award-winning premium English wine?
With a fantastic 20% off now’s your chance, click here to access the Hattingley Valley Wines offer!
America As You Like It
Tailor-made Holidays to the USA, Naples, Marco Island & Everglades Adventure! 10 nights from £1,679 per person.
Price Includes: Flights, accommodation and car hire, click here to find out more about USA Holidays
Beautiful baby clothes for little boys and girls
A British baby clothing brand offering timeless, traditional clothing and accessories for babies aged up to 23 months. Members save 15% at Emile et Rose.
Barebones Living
Discover a world of possibilities. Outdoor living is not just an experience, but a way of life. Barebones Living is giving members the change to save 15% on exceptional outdoor products that enhance your adventures!
Harry’s
We make products for all men, thoughtfully. Meet your new bathroom saviour: The Winston razor. Get £5 off your first Winston Trial Set, when you sign up to a Harry’s subscription.
The next North West Regional Meeting will take place on the evening of Tuesday 12 September from 7.30pm to 9pm via Teams.
This meeting is entitled: “Not your average trainee – Looking after CESR and ACP”.
We have two speakers, Julie Winstanley, the regional ACP lead, and Sanjoy Bhattacharyya, Regional CESR lead, giving us wisdom and inspiration in supervising and guiding these two groups who fall slightly outside the traditional machinery of training.
Meeting ID and passcode have been emailed to all NW members.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) in Scotland has warned that situations in A+Es this winter could be as bad – or worse – than last year, without urgent and significant intervention.
RCEM Vice President for Scotland, Dr John-Paul Loughrey, gave his assessment after appearing at the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care, and Sport Committee this morning (5 September 2023).
During the Committee hearing Dr Loughrey highlighted the need for long-term planning to prevent NHS crises rather than short-term fixes and winter firefighting.
He also emphasised the clear need for a whole-system approach where all levels of care are better connected so patient flow is maintained.
It comes on the same day that the latest monthly performance figures for A+Es in Scotland were released which show in July 2023:
Speaking following the meeting, Dr Loughrey said: “The Scottish NHS winter plan has yet to be released, but unless it urgently and significantly addresses the shortfalls in acute and general capacity and in the workforce, then I have no confidence it will avert a deep and prolonged winter crisis.
“We see from today’s latest performance data that the improvements we hope and previously would have expected to see during the ‘quieter’ summer months have not materialised.
“We are heading toward the colder weather with a poorer baseline than a comparable period in 2022, where conditions deteriorated into the winter and many patients suffered ultra-long delays accessing care, due to overcrowded A+Es and full hospitals.
“This is not due to avoidable attendances, or ‘well’ patients coming to our Emergency Departments – these are, in the main, patients awaiting admission to appropriate inpatient ward beds, with particular delays previously reported as impacting people facing multiple disadvantage, older patients and those experiencing mental ill health.
“Without a clear strategy for workforce, or for the required expansion of acute hospital capacity to avoid ‘Exit Block’, the number of patients experiencing significant delays will rise, and we know that long stays and overcrowded Emergency Departments increases the risk of death.
“Addressing only the ‘input’ of patients to EDs – by attendance avoidance strategies, or by public messaging advising patients to seek alternative care – without viewing the entirety of the patient’s journey through the emergency care system, is inadvisable.
“The number of people who are well enough to leave hospital but are delayed at this stage is not reducing, and we are seeing many hospitals with extremely high occupancy levels – solving this is key to protecting our patients from harm this winter.”
Visualisations for July’s performance data are here. And the Committee meeting can be watched again here.
We are thrilled to bring news of this year’s RCEM SECEM conference on 13 October 2023 in Brighton at the fabulous Hilton Hotel.
We promise a packed programme of exciting clinical and non-clinical updates to inform and enrich your practice.
We are also excited to announce an afternoon of HALO (High Acuity, Low Occurrence) refresher sessions where we hope many delegates will be able to get hands-on practice at these procedures.
We are honoured to have so many talented contributors who have so kindly and generously donated their time and expertise.
We are extremely grateful to RCEM for helping us keep costs down, allowing us to provide great value for money and include all our colleagues working in Emergency Care, including Doctors, Nurses, ENPs, ACPs, PAs and GPs in ED.
This promises to be a quality day of education to reinvigorate your love for our fabulous specialty and have fun together outside of work.
Please let all your friends and colleagues know and plan your study leave now for what we hope will be a fantastic day.
Find all the details here – SECEM – South East Conference
I thought I would give you a Humber and Yorkshire regional board update about out work so far this year.
We presented the 87% RCEM regional wellness data and the RespectED work at the RCEM teaching session with the regional HSTs in February.
This started some very open and honest conversations about incivility and bullying that had been witnessed by trainees across the region.
More people contacted me & the Y&H EMTA rep afterwards.
Two trusts were highlighted as being problematic from the trainees’ point of view.
I have had meetings with clinical leaders from both the trusts and both are actively addressing these issues.
Early indications are that these interventions are helping.
We had our first wellbeing walk on Ilkley Moor in February. Humber Bridge is the next destination – get in touch for more details (my email is below).
The rest of our activity has been around arranging the regional learning and networking event in June, at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, this was a great day. Evaluation was positive, with some good pointers to make it even better next year.
East Yorkshire, here we come!
As rotations move people around, we now have some vacancies at the regional board. The Vice Chair role is also vacant.
Please do get in touch if you are interested in these roles or just to find out more about what is involved.
Thanks, Sally-Anne Wilson
Yorkshire & Humber Regional Chair
YHChair@rcem.ac.uk
If you would like to submit something for inclusion please email us communications@rcem.ac.uk
