CEM - Current Issues & Statements

For press queries regarding College statements please contact:

Red Door Communications (Tel: 020 8392 8040, Fax: 020 8392 8050,

Sarah Aldridge (020 8392 8041, Lottie Tupholme (020 8392 6937)
Email: saldridge@rdcomms.com, ltupholme@rdcomms.com

CEM Annual Report 2010 (Aug 2010) - a summary of College activities over the past year

All Fellows and Members are invited to the 2010 Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 15th September 2010, which is being held at the CEM Annual Conference in Birmingham. Agenda and previous minutes (please note you need to log-in to view this section)

Severe reactions to Ivory Wave legal high (Aug 2010) - warning from the Chief Medical Officer in Scotland

Press statement - CEM voices concerns about switching off speed cameras (Aug 2010)

Quality Indicators for Emergency Care in England (July 2010) - Follow the link to see proposals for quality indicators to replace the four hour waiting standard (please note you must be logged in to view this page). Fellows and Members are urged to send us your views by Friday 6th August - e-mail cemqip@gmail.com

eLfH update (July 2010) - The College has published this response to concerns regarding the future of e-learning. Please also read reassurances about the continuation of eLfH from Patricia Hamilton, Director of Medical Education

CEM response to the Nuffield Trust report (July 2010) - The College welcomes new research into how
emergency care services may be improved, however CEM does not accept the suggestion drawn from the Nuffield Trust report that admissions for less than 24 hours are unnecessary

RCPCH research project report, To understand and improve the experience of parents and carers who need advice when a children have a fever (July 2010), is available on the RCPCH website at http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/fever

Abolition of the four hour waiting standard (July 2010) - below is the latest guidance from the DH to inform this period of transition:

• The Operating Framework has stated that the operational standard will be reduced to 95% with immediate effect and that monitoring of the median length of stay in ED should be undertaken: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_110107
• The deed of variation was issued last Friday which amends the contract to reflect the 95% position and hence allows the PCT to adjust arrangements with acute Trusts in-year.  The documentation required is available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_117154.doc
• Monitor have issued guidance to FTs indicating that they will performance manage for the full year against 95%. Available at: http://www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/home/our-publications/browse-category/guidance-foundation-trusts/mandatory-guidance/compliance-frame-0
• CQC have yet to confirm their position, but were copied into the Monitor letter. They had previously indicated that they would follow the DH's lead
• PCTs are able to retain the 98% threshold as a local agreement in the contract. However, to do this both parties must agree.  Hence local clinicians should discuss this with their managers

CRASH-2: tranexamic acid and trauma patients (July 2010) - Results have been published in the Lancet of a clinical trial assessing the effects of early administration of a short course of tranexamic acid on death, vascular occlusive events, and the receipt of blood transfusion in trauma patients with or at risk of significant haemorrhage. Professor Keith Willett, NCD for Trauma, is pleased to endorse the recommendations of this study

Abolition of the four hour waiting standard for EDs (June 2010) - The Secretary of State for Health has written an open letter to the CEM President to clarify the decision to abolish the four hour target from next year and the development of quality indicators for EDs

GMC acts to reassure trainees (June 2010) - The GMC has issued a statement regarding the issue of examinations taken outside approved postgraduate training

CEM welcomes changes to the 4-hour target (June 2010)

Independent EWTD Review calls for action to deliver high quality training and improve patient safety (June 2010) - Professor Sir John Temple has launched his report ‘Time for Training’, an independent review of the impact of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) on the quality of training for doctors, dentists, pharmacists and healthcare scientists. See Press Statement and Report on the MEE website http://www.mee.nhs.uk/

CEM welcomes Mid-Staffordshire inquiry (June 2010)

EMJ supplement (May 2010) - A special edition of the EMJ supplement examining Emergency Medicine and Political Change

Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (May 2010) - The College is pleased to announce the establishment of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine of the United Kingdom

'A Matter of Emergency' (Apr 2010) - The College of Emergency Medicine manifesto challenges the next government to fund more Consultants in Emergency Departments. See also our press statement

Emergency Medicine Consultants - Workforce Recommendations (Apr 2010) - The College recommendations to expand the Emergency Medicine Consultant workforce

GMC consultation on Revalidation (Mar 2010) - All Fellows and Members are urged to participate in the GMC consultation which closes on 4th June 2010. This is one of the last major opportunities to influence how revalidation will work in practice. http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/licensing/5786.asp

Guidance on Anthrax Outbreak, Scotland (Mar 2010) - Interim clinical guidance for the management of suspected anthrax in drug users and other resources are available on the Health Protection Scotland website here: http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/anthrax/resources.aspx

Statement of Fitness for Work - 'Fit Notes' (Mar 2010) - From 6 April 2010 a new Statement of Fitness for Work (also known as the Form Med 3 or “fit note”) will be introduced across Scotland, England and Wales which will enable doctors to give their patients better advice about returning to work

EMS countdown to London 2012 (Mar 2010) - The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is recruiting volunteer EM professionals to take part in the London 2012 games. Please send brief expressions of interest to ems@london2012.com

Primary Care and Emergency Departments (Mar 2010). CEM welcomes this report from the Primary Care Foundation

National Audit Office: Major Trauma Care in England (Feb 2010). This report is available on the NAO website at http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0910/major_trauma_care.aspx

CEM response statement: Independent inquiry into care provided by Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust: January 2005 - March 2009 (Feb 2010) please download here

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges - Advice on Supporting Professional Activities in consultant job planning (Feb 2010) CEM welcomes this statement and would note the benefits for patients of Consultants having adequate SPA time to develop and maintain a high quality service

Regional Trauma Systems: Interim guidance for commissioners (Dec 09).Report from the Intercollegiate group for trauma standards

CEM Audits: Summary of key findings from 2003-2008

National Confidential Enquiry into Head Injury in Children: Call for panel assessors

CEM response to the CQC report re: Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

CEM response to a deanery withdrawing training from an ED - this document outlines steps EDs can take to improve patient safety.

GMC Guidance - Confidentiality

CEM response to the Independent review of NHS and Social Care IT  - the CEM IT & Casemix subcommittee has published in response to the review

AGM and CEM Subscriptions - CEM President John Heyworth outlines the key messages from the 2009 AGM here (Please note you must log in to view this page).

Major Trauma Networks: FAQs (Sept 2009) - a summary of developments in trauma networks prepared by the NW Regional Chair, Patrick Nee, for colleagues in the North West, which is of interest and relevance to all Fellows and Members

BMA guidance - Job Planning and the Consultant Contract

Role of the consultant 'on call' - CEM Statement

CEM welcomes a new report, Women and medicine: the future, published by the Royal College of Physicians of London

College welcomes review into impact of EWTD on junior doctor training (May 2009)

College bulletin regarding swine influenza

College statement regarding Stafford Hospital

Intercollegiate Committee for Services for Children in Emergency Departments document about short stay assessment units is published on the RCPCH website - http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/Policy/Emergency-Care

Results of an All party enquiry into carbon monoxide poisoning

HPA carbon monoxide algorithm for medical professionals

The Way Ahead 2008-2012 (Dec 2008)

College response to the consultation on the NHS constitution

HRH The Princess Royal presents the Royal Charter to the College

Healthcare Commission report "Not just a matter of time" - CEM Press Statement

An update from the President on the activities of the College

Role of the consultant with subspecialty training in PEM - A new document from the RCPCH and CEM jointly defining the role of the consultant Paediatrician with a PEM subspecialty interest

EMJ archive - The complete archive for the EMJ is now available to members at the site: http://emj.bmj.com/contents-by-date.0.dtl

National Audit of complications in RSI and of Emergency department RSI - information about a national audit starting on September 1st.  Further details are available on the Royal College of Anaesthetists website: http://www.rcoa.ac.uk/index.asp?PageID=1089

The Future of Emergency Care - There is a new sub-section for reconfiguration where all documents relating to new models of care are provided. Please go to the menu on the left to find this section.