Anaesthesia North School

Last reviewed:  October 2014

East Lancashire – Blackpool – Lancaster – Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

The Area

North School is the northernmost third of the North West Deanery region anaesthesia CT 1/2 training scheme encompassing East Lancashire (Royal Blackburn Hospital & Burnley General Hospital), Blackpool (Blackpool Victoria Hospital), Lancaster (Royal Lancaster Infirmary & Westmorland General Hospital, Kendal) and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals (Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital).

The area has excellent transport links. All hospitals are close to motorways (M6, M55, M61, M65). Central Manchester is 45-60 minutes distant by road. Frequent mainline rail services to London & other major cities are easily accessible. Nearby national & international airports include Blackpool, Leeds / Bradford, Liverpool & Manchester.

The county of Lancashire offers recreational & leisure amenities catering for all tastes. For those enjoying night-life, the region offers a diverse range from busy urban bars & clubs to secluded inns & restaurants in picturesque villages. For outdoor enthusiasts, sporting amenities are widespread and the breathtaking landscapes of the Pennines & Lake District are on the doorstep. Blackpool & Morecambe Bay cater excellently for beach & sea activities.

Post-Graduate Training Scheme

CT 1/2 training in anaesthesia is supervised by a Specialty Training Committee (STC) with links to the North Western Post-Graduate Deanery. All hospitals within the School have active post-graduate centres with modern library facilities. Each School hospital is committed to the teaching, training and encouragement of trainees.

Training is designed so that trainees will receive all the training needs of CT 1/2 in Anaesthesia, as recommended by the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA), over a two year period.

Trainees will be expected to work towards taking the Primary FRCA MCQ examination during Year 1 and to pass the Primary FRCA OSCE/SOE examination in Year 2. Training modules in both Obstetric Anaesthesia (3 months) and Intensive Care Medicine (3 months) will be provided.

To maintain equity of training, trainees will normally move between hospitals within the Lancashire School at annual intervals. Placements will be determined by the Programme Director, reflecting the trainee’s preference, educational needs and availability of placements. No guarantee of the location of second or third placements will be given at the time of appointment.

All posts are educationally approved by the RCoA & Post-Graduate Dean.

Assessment

During each placement, all trainees will have a named educational supervisor responsible for co-ordinating their training needs, and for their periodic appraisal & assessment. This will normally be the local Royal College of Anaesthetists College Tutor. In addition, all CT trainees will undergo at least annual assessment (ARCP) by the Programme Director to monitor satisfactory progress. 

Trainees will be required to maintain a logbook of experience gained during training, in an RCoA-approved format. Electronic logbooks meeting RCoA requirements will be provided.

Trainees will be required to maintain details of attained competencies contributing to Competency Based Training for CT 1/2s in Anaesthesia as recommended by the RCoA. Workplace Assessment documentation are conducted through the RCoA e-portfolio and training will be directed toward attainment of all necessary competencies in order to ensure that CT 1/2 training is complete by the end of Year 2.

Registration with the RCoA after appointment is essential.

Teaching

Lancashire School runs two teaching programmes. Each programme comprises weekly 2½ hour tutorials at varying locations within the hospitals of the School area. Attendance is mandatory and a register is kept. Travel to attend School tutorials does not attract travel expenses. 

New Starter Tutorials are designed for CT1 trainees new to anaesthesia. This introductory programme is run over a three-month semester at the start of Year 1, after which New Starter trainees enter the Primary FRCA Tutorial programme.

Primary FRCA Tutorials are designed for all trainees not eligible to attend New Starter tutorials. These tutorials cover the majority of the Primary FRCA examination syllabus over a rolling one-year programme. 

There is also a NW Region Primary FRCA tutorial course comprising two full days of teaching each month. These “Study Block Days” take place at varying locations throughout the NW region. The course attracts a course fee which is reimbursable as part of study leave. All trainees are expected to attend this course. Exam Practice Days for trainees approaching the Primary FRCA examination are included in the course.

Audit

Regular audit takes place in all departments. All trainees will be required to attend Audit meetings. In addition, all trainees will be expected to perform a minimum of one audit project per year.

Summary of North School Centres

East Lancashire Hospitals 

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust conducts acute services at Royal Blackburn Hospital (RBH) and Burnley General Hospital (BGH). The RBH site deals with all emergency / non-planned hospital admissions. All major surgery & Intensive Care takes place at RBH. Maternity services are provided on both sites.
The main Department of Anaesthesia is located at RBH, with a satellite office maintained at BGH. All anaesthesia CT 1/2 trainees are based in RBH, but will gain experience in either hospital depending on training requirements / opportunities.
The Department has a high training reputation amongst trainees due in part to intensive practice prior to examinations.
CT 1/2 training at Blackburn is modular. Year 1 typically comprises a 6 month Introductory Module, 3 months Head & Neck (ENT, Dental, Maxillo-Facial & Ophthalmic) and 3 months Orthopaedics & Trauma. Year 2 three month modules typically include Intensive Care Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Other modules are available according to training needs.
RBH has a 20 bed Intensive Care Unit offering excellent CT 1/2 training in Intensive Care Medicine. Blackburn is a sub-regional centre for Maxillo-Facial surgery. CT trainees in a Head & Neck module may expect excellent training in difficult airway management including major cancer surgery, paediatric dental chair anaesthesia & dental anaesthesia in patients with learning difficulties. CT training in Acute & Chronic Pain Management is available, with a Trust-wide Acute Pain Team in place. Simulator training is established.
The department is very welcoming and enjoys social events. Manchester is only a short distance away by rail or car. The distance between RBH & BGH is approximately 15 miles by road.
All posts are EWTD compliant.
Website: www.elht.nhs.uk

Blackpool Victoria Hospital

Blackpool Victoria Hospital has approximately 1000 acute beds and serves a population of over 300,000 plus a large number of visitors. The Directorate is committed to supporting all grades of staff, and CME and CEPD are mandatory.
Training is offered in anaesthesia for General & Vascular Surgery, Day Case Surgery, Urology, Orthopaedics & Trauma, Ophthalmology, ENT, some Oral Surgery, some Paediatric Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics. There is a large sub regional centre for Cardiothoracic Surgery and some CT2s may be offered some exposure to this speciality.
There is an 8 bedded ICU within the directorate and a 4 bedded HDU. The unit is recognised for training advanced and joint CCT trainees.
Blackpool is considered a centre of excellence for the management of Acute Pain.
CTs are allocated mentors within the Directorate. There is an EWTD compliant shift system for trainees with CT1s on-call for theatres whilst higher grades of trainees cover Obstetrics and Critical Care.
Blackpool hospitals are part of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust.
Website: www.bfwhospitals.nhs.uk

Lancaster Royal Infirmary

The Lancaster part of the rotation covers 2 hospitals. The 1 in 7 on call and the majority of the training takes part at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, though some time is spent doing sessions at the Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.
Although at the most northern part of the Lancashire School area, the access to the Lakes, Dales and Scotland and the fact that Lancaster is an active University city, makes Lancaster popular.
All the normal surgical specialities are covered. Lancaster can also offer vascular anaesthesia, chair dental anaesthesia; fibre optic intubation training and many of the consultants have an interest in regional anaesthesia.
It is an enthusiastic department where trainees are appreciated, taught, but have to work hard.
Lancaster hospitals are part of Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust.
Website: www.mbht.nhs.uk

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley & South Ribble Hospital. The Trust serves a local population of 390,000 and also provides regional sub-specialty services to a population of 1.5 million in Neurology / Neurosurgery, Plastics & Burns, and Renal. In addition the Trust encompasses the Lancashire & South Lakeland Cancer Centre (including chemotherapy, radiotherapy & Oncology Surgery).
There is a major expansion of medical student teaching with increasing numbers spending their entire 3 years clinical training in the Trust.

Anaesthesia CT 1/2 trainees gain experience in either hospital depending on training requirements / opportunities. Royal Preston Hospital provides all main DGH specialities, and regional sub-specialty care. The Obstetric department has 4,500 deliveries per year & runs a 24 h epidural analgesia service (25% epidural rate); 10 consultant sessions per week ensure excellent training in obstetric anaesthesia. There is a 23-bedded Critical Care Unit which includes Neuro-Intensive Care. Major Trauma workload is high with increasing involvement of the NW Helicopter Ambulance service. CT1/2 training in Difficult Airway management is available (major Head and Neck Oncology Surgery, ENT, Dental, Maxillo-Facial & cervical spine surgery).
Royal Preston Hospital runs weekly Breakfast, Lunchtime & Journal Club meetings. With a large consultant & senior trainee body, excellent opportunities exist to perform audit projects and obtain teaching for the Primary FRCA. The hospital is conveniently situated in the centre of the North School area with good motorway links to Manchester & all other School hospitals.

http://www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk/ 

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