Resource

What is the Medical Training Initiative?

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by Jon Sturman,

Clinical Director of Critical Care, North Cumbria.

MTI stands for Medical Training Initiative and is one way of allowing overseas doctors access to training in the UK. Applicants should have at least 3 years’ postgraduate clinical training and possess a postgraduate medical qualification – see MTI sections in the RCOA and RCP websites for more information on this. Application is facilitated by the Colleges to help with GMC registration and hospital trusts’ sponsorship on a tier 5 (2 year) visa.

Continue reading “What is the Medical Training Initiative?” →

Resource

Critical Care Recovery – a new patient support website

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by Dr Pam Ramsay

Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Edinburgh Medical School

Critical Care Recovery is a website to support patients and families in and after Intensive Care. The website can be customised for your own ICU or region. 

What’s the website for? This innovative website is a one-stop shop providing information, advice and support for ICU patients and their families. It’s the outcome of 10 years’ interview-based research with patients, and 5 years’ development, evaluation and quality improvement. It’s ideally placed to address a top research priority of the James Lind Alliance & ICS. To “support to help patients start living at home again”.

Continue reading “Critical Care Recovery – a new patient support website” →

Event, Opinion

Mediating conflict between health professionals, patients and families: It’s all about the human stuff.

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Sarah Barclay, Founder/Director, The Medical Mediation Foundation.

Conflict between patients, families and health professionals is upsetting for all and can affect decision-making about medical care and treatment. All too often the warning signs are missed.  This can lead to a breakdown of relationships that may end up in court. Although recourse to the courts will lead to a decision, there are inevitably perceived to be winners and losers. Complex, often agonising dilemmas for families, patients and health professionals are portrayed (and felt) as battles.

Continue reading “Mediating conflict between health professionals, patients and families: It’s all about the human stuff.” →

News, Story

Hospital Politics

Reporters: M Beed, G Suntharalingam, P Brindley

As results came in, it became clear that asking hospital staff for their opinion had backfired. Ms May, from the orthopaedic wing of the party, has been accused of fighting a lacklustre campaign, and there are calls for her to resign as Chief Surgeon. Ms May has taken responsibility and has sought support from eight little-known staff Anaesthetists Continue reading “Hospital Politics” →

News, Story

The Manchester Attack – A personal view

The amazing responses of the of the NHS to the recent atrocities & fire in Manchester and London is a testament to the dedication of the critical care teams as well as other medical staff in those hospitals involved.  An overriding desire to help when adversity struck was the hallmark of their attitude.  The last five years in the NHS has been punctuated with feelings of doom at times – not enough money, not enough staff, too much poorly considered change etc, etc. It’s all too easy to forget why we entered our professions in the first place.  This blog by Dr Andrew Bently, Clinical Director of the University of South Manchester adult critical care unit might help jog our memories.

Gary Masterson, ICS President Continue reading “The Manchester Attack – A personal view” →

News

Wanted: Patient representatives for the Society’s Patients and Relatives Committee

One of the key principles underlying the National Health Service is that it aspires to ‘put patients at the heart of everything it does’.(1) This aim is reflected by the Society in its Patients and Relatives Committee.  The Committee provides an influential forum for patient centred discussion on issues pertaining to intensive care, and it advises external bodies as well as the Society itself. Continue reading “Wanted: Patient representatives for the Society’s Patients and Relatives Committee” →

Opinion

Are negative studies bad? – “Not at all” says Jeremy Bewley, newly elected Council member

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by Jeremy Bewley, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

I’ve been a member of the ICS for over 20 years and was on the trainee committee at the turn of the century.  I have fond memories of the meetings that we ran at the Belfry, Troon, Durham and Cheltenham. It was an exciting time for the specialty with the development of the UK intensive care training programme. Continue reading “Are negative studies bad? – “Not at all” says Jeremy Bewley, newly elected Council member” →

JICS, Opinion

Jottings from JICS: CQUINS, delayed discharges & perverse incentives

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by Jeremy Groves, Consultant Anaesthetist in Intensive Care

Looking at JICS this month the article by Stephen Gilligan, “Critical care delayed discharges: Good or bad?”, caught my eye.(1)  He argues that the evidence from ICNARC suggests that delayed discharges, especially in sicker patients, may be no bad thing.  He goes on to articulate that NHS England’s proposed CQUIN on delayed discharges (currently in limbo) would act as a perverse incentive that may have a detrimental effect on some of our patients’ outcomes. Continue reading “Jottings from JICS: CQUINS, delayed discharges & perverse incentives” →