Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine Training in the North East of England

Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine training is a dynamic sub-specialty which offers trainees a very different experience of providing acute care.

Training will cover a wide range of pre-hospital skills, namely working in Emergency Medical Systems, providing advanced Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, using pre-hospital equipment, supporting rescue and extrication, supporting safe patient transfer and supporting emergency preparedness and response. In addition to this, skills and knowledge will also be gained in operational practice, team resource management and Clinical Governance.

The scheme consists of a 2-year post comprising one year whole time equivalent PHEM and one year whole time equivalent base specialty training, blended such that a typical week will be involve two days based in hospital, and three days pre-hospital or vice versa. This will effectively postpone a CCT date by one year.

The pre-hospital training will be undertaken with the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS). Successful candidates will complete the regional Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine Crew Course along with the GNAAS Pre-Hospital Anaesthesia Course before undertaking initially directly supervised clinical pre-hospital shifts covering a range of environments from inner-cities to the Lake District mountains.

Trainees will be based with NEAS (including the regional Hazardous Area Response Team) in Newcastle and South Tyneside, and at two GNAAS airbases: Durham Tees Valley Airport and Langwathby near Penrith, Cumbria. There is also a night time car-based service operating throughout the north east.

Core specialty training is undertaken at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough for anaesthetic trainees and Sunderland Royal Hospital for Emergency Medicine trainees.

The Northern School of Anaesthesia works hard at providing a balanced program and supportive environment for its trainees. We have responded to the new curriculum by significantly increasing the number of advanced training modules in regional anaesthesia, airway/ENT and paediatrics. We have increased trainee representation and extended this to the School of Anaesthesia Executive Committee.

Training in Emergency Medicine in the Northern Deanery will allow you to work in Major Trauma Centres, urban or rural Emergency Departments. We also deliver PEM training. We have a well-developed exam preparation training scheme and our success rate in FCEM is above the national average. Previous trainees now work as EM specialists throughout the region, the rest of the UK and Australasia.

Great North Air Ambulance Service

This established Helicopter Emergency Medical Services provider has been operating with specially trained doctor-paramedic teams since 2003 and operates two helicopter bases providing advanced pre-hospital care throughout the North of England with operations ranging from inner cities to rural Lake District experience. Rapid response cars supplement the air operations.

North East Ambulance Service

The regional ambulance service has a well-established programme of pre-hospital management, teaching and training, audit and research along with an active Hazardous Area Response Team offering training in Major Incident Management, Urban Search and Rescue and Chemical, Biological, Radio-Nuclear and Explosion incident management.

City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust: Sunderland Royal Hospital.

This large teaching hospital and accredited Trauma Unit delivers Emergency Medicine training with additional opportunities to develop skills in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Hand Surgery, Major Incident Planning, Clinical Governance, Emergency Ultrasound and teaching & training.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust: James Cook University Hospital & Friarage Hospital This is a large Trust delivering training at basic intermediate and advanced levels across all sub-specialties, including cardiothoracic and neuroanaesthesia. The only sub-specialty that is not well represented is neonatal paediatrics. Advanced training is offered at ST 5-7 in chronic pain, ICM, education and research.