About the Emergency Medicine Specialist and Associated Specialists Development Programme (EMSAS)
One of the HEEKSS Emergency Care Programme strategic priorities is the retention of the urgent and emergency workforce through education, development and training support. This programme aims to enable non-training middle grade (EM SAS) doctors working in the region’s Emergency Departments to further develop and enhance their clinical and non-clinical skills, allowing them to work more safely as the senior decision maker doctors in their departments and to work effectively without direct supervision, such as on the night rota.
One of the most difficult aspects of the present national crisis in Emergency Medicine is that of recruitment and retention, specifically ensuring departments have sufficient numbers of doctors possessing the competencies to fill the night shifts of a 24 hour middle grade rota.
HEEKSS has recognised the need to provide training to non-training grade doctors working in the region. In addition to the improved patient safety that this programme aims to achieve, it is also envisaged that there will be enhanced experience for junior trainees working alongside these SAS doctors, as well as promoting Emergency Medicine as a specialty.
This programme is specifically aimed at junior EM SAS doctors currently working on middle grade rotas but always under direct senior supervision. The programme focuses on developing clinical skills, understanding how human factors impact practice, learning how to manage the Emergency Department effectively and how to supervise junior trainees, and the development of leadership skills.
More information
The programme consists of a combination of face-to-face and elearning modules, with the aim of these being completed over a four month period.
There are 5 face-to-face days, which are held in different hospitals around the region:
- Day 1: Human factors and patient safety
- Day 2: Adult simulation, with an introduction to simulation training and debrief
- Day 3: Adult simulation, including procedural sedation and debrief
- Day 4: Paediatric simulation
- Day 5: Leadership
In addition to the actual content of the face-to-face days, these days provide doctors with opportunities to visit other departments and network with other doctors working in similar roles around the region.
The elearning component of the programme consists of a set of 3 structured modules encompassing a variety of traditional and novel platforms with the aim that the online content is worked through independently prior to a facilitated group discussion of the content, allowing the opportunity to question and explore issues raised.
- Module 1: Sepsis, Sedation and Critical Care
- Module 2: Medicine and Cardiology
- Module 3: Surgical Specialties and Mental Health
The programme aims to introduce and embed concepts of lifelong learning, and as such information will be provided to introduce participants to a variety of learning platforms and concepts in addition to the traditional elearning such as podcasts, blogs, vlogs and social media interaction such as FOAMed. It is hoped that the addition of some of the newer learning media will ignite, or further develop, a passion for ongoing learning and interaction with peers, with the hope that this will see an increase in recruitment and retention of this vital group of medical workforce.
The project team would like to extend their thanks to everyone who is involved in hosting and running the face-to-face and discussion components of the programme.
Meet the team
Dr. Sarah Hall
Project Clinical Lead
Eileen Sanderson
Senior Programme Manager for Emergency Care, HEEKSSDenise Redford
Programme Support Officer, HEEKSS
Patricia Howe
Project Manager, HEE elearning for healthcare
Angelina Montinaro
Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare
Neha Baj
Senior Project Manager, HEE elearning for healthcare
How to access
In order to access the Emergency Medicine Specialist and Associated Specialists Development programme, you will need an elfh account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below.
To view the Emergency Medicine Specialist and Associated Specialists Development programme, select the View button below. If you already have an account with elfh, you will also be able to login and enrol on the programme from the View button.
Not an NHS organisation?
If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access elfh Hub, you may be able to access the service by creating an OpenAthens account.
To check whether or not you qualify for free access via OpenAthens, you can view the eligibility criteria and register on the ‘OpenAthens’ portal.
Registering large numbers of users
If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the Emergency Medicine Specialist and Associated Specialists Development programme, please contact elfh directly.
Organisations wishing to use their own LMS
For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.
More information
Please select the following link for more information on how to use the elfh Hub.