West Midlands Postgraduate School of ACE - Warkwickshire School of Anaesthesia

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The Alexandra Hospital opened in 1986 and comprises 340 beds plus 20-day case beds. All major specialties and sub-specialties are provided other than cardiac surgery, vascular surgery and neurosurgery. The hospital is also the urology centre for the county. In addition there is a recently completed endoscopy unit. The obstetric Unit deals with approximately 1800 deliveries per year and has an estimated 15% epidural rate. The day-time obstetric sessions are all staffed by a consultant anaesthetist and provide excellent training opportunities for trainees.

There is a recently refurbished 8-bedded critical and high dependency care unit. There are 7 theatres, 2 of which are day unit theatres, as well as a dedicated obstetric theatre.

The department is staffed by 16 consultant anaesthetists, 2 NCCG anaesthetists, 12 trainees (all Deanery approved posts) and one FY1 doctor. There are ample IT facilities in the department and there are two on call rooms available for the two trainees on call at night.

The department has a national and international reputation for regional anaesthesia and has written many textbooks and exam-orientated books. These books not only cover regional anaesthesia, but anaesthesia in a wider context. Ultrasound is used in the performance of regional anaesthetic blocks and this provides great training opportunities. There is currently one final FRCA examiner and one very experienced ex-examiner (both primary and final FRCA) in the department, providing a valuable source of practice opportunities and support for those trainees preparing for exams.

Monthly audit meetings are held and active participation in these is encouraged. There is a weekly ICU teaching programme, where trainees prepare topics related to intensive care medicine.

The Alexandra Hospital has a state-of-the-art Post Graduate Medical Centre with a library and great IT facilities, which was only recently completed and that is accessible 24 hours a day. The hospital is in close proximity to Birmingham University Medical School and the local teaching hospitals.

North Warwickshire has a population of 178,000 and the Trust also provides certain health services for the population of Hinckley in Leicestershire amounting to some 55,000. George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust provides Acute Medical and Surgical, Maternity, Geriatric services using 332 beds served by 1728 staff including 12 Consultant anaesthetists.

There are eight operating theatres for General, Vascular, Urology, Dental, Gynaecology, Trauma, Orthopaedic, Maxillofacial, Day Care, Ophthalmology and Pain procedures. A dedicated Emergency CEPOD Theatre is open 24 hours a day. The Hospital has an Accident & Emergency Department.

A purpose-built Day Procedures Unit opened in June 2003 with 3 theatres and another dedicated elective orthopaedic theatre was added in 2009.

The Maternity Hospital, which houses its own Operating Theatre on Labour Ward, undertakes some 2,400 deliveries per annum. The Anaesthetic Department provides a 24 hour Epidural Service.

The Anaesthetic Department provides cover for radiological procedures requiring general anaesthesia or sedation, for emergencies requiring a CT Scan and for cardio-versions. New CT and MRI scanners were recently installed in a purpose built suite within Radiology.

The Intensive care has 8 physical beds, funded for five level one patients or a greater number of level twos. It is equipped for invasive cardiac output monitoring and renal support.

There is a newly built and superbly equipped Post Graduate Centre housing a modern, comprehensive Library and Seminar Rooms with audio visual and computing facilities. It boasts a clinical skills laboratory and a computer-training centre.

Training courses (ALS/ILS/PLS/ALERT) are held here with the help of the anaesthetic department.

Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull Hospitals

Birmingham Heartland Hospital is located near the city centre in the Small Heath area with Solihull Hospital approximately 5 miles to the South.

Heartlands is a large teaching hospital which serves a diverse community. All major specialties with the exception of elective orthopaedics, neuro and cardiac surgery are provided on site.

Surgery is provided in one of 11 operating theatres at the Trust. The Critical Care Service has the ability to manage 11 level 3 and 5 level 2 Unit patients and provides an outreach service to the wards. The regional thoracic unit is located at Heartlands Hospital and there are approximately 7 full days of operating each week. Other major specialties include a chronic and acute pain service, vascular, bariatric, complex urological and ENT surgery. The obstetric unit has over 4000 deliveries per year and accepts complex cases.

We are fortunate to have a very active research department headed by Professor F Gao and provide an opportunity for trainees to gain research experience and academic qualifications. In addition we currently have 2 primary FRCA examiners, two Programme Directors and two Regional Advisors working as consultant anaesthetists in the Trust demonstrating our commitment to training and education.

Solihull Hospital is the site for all elective orthopaedic and ophthalmic surgery as well as less complex general and gynaecological procedures. There are 5 main, 1 obstetric and 2 day case theatres. Currently the Intensive Care unit has 3 level 3 beds.

The anaesthetic department provides a service to both Heartlands and Solihull Hospitals and comprises 38 consultants, 24 trainees six NCCGs and a number of fellows posts in research, thoracic anaesthesia and pain medicine.

Good Hope Hospital

Good Hope Hospital is part of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and serves North Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and a large part of south east Staffordshire, including Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth. The catchment population is about 450,000.

The hospital has an accident and emergency department and other specialties on site include orthopaedic surgery, colorectal and upper GI surgery, and urology.

In addition to this, acute and general medicine, cardiology, elderly care and stroke, paediatrics, respiratory medicine, diabetes, obstetrics and gynaecology, maternity services and ophthalmology are also provided.

The Anaesthetic Department staffing includes 17 consultants, 7 specialist trainees, 3 core trainees, 2 associate specialists and 6 staff grades. Secretarial support is provided by 2 full-time secretaries.

Training opportunities are provided in many areas including obstetrics, intensive care medicine, regional anaesthesia and chronic pain.

The departmental educational opportunities include weekly tutorials and protected teaching time for trainees to attend the local Primary and Final FRCA courses.

Trainees have access to departmental IT resources in addition to the extensive educational and training facilities offered by the Education Centre library.

South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute and maternity services to a population of 270,000.South Warwickshire. Warwick Hospital performs approximately 14,000 operations per annum. The Trust manages two hospitals, Warwick Hospital and Stratford-upon-Avon Hospital.

Warwick Hospital – about 360 beds servicing:
Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, ENT, Colorectal, Maxillo-facial Dental, General Surgery, General Medicine (including Care of the Elderly), Vascular Surgery, Cardiology, Breast Surgery, Gastro-intestinal Medicine, Urology, Haematology, ICU, CCU, A & E Department, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Main operating suite with 5 theatres, Acute Pain Service, Day Surgery Unit with 4 theatres, Endoscopy.

The Anaesthetic Department is situated between main operating theatres and ICU in a Nucleus Hospital template. The Department is accommodated in a suite of five offices and a seminar/sitting room. There are networked PCs with intra-net and web access. The Obstetric Unit, ICU, operating theatres and surgical wards adjoin the Anaesthetic Department. Trainees are encouraged to participate in postgraduate studies, which include weekly teaching sessions and multi-disciplinary meetings in the Post-Graduate Education Centre. There is an excellent library at Warwick Hospital in the Medical Training Centre.

Anaesthetists run the 7 bedded ICU, obstetric anaesthetic and epidural service, chronic pain clinic, acute pain service and Day Surgery Centre. An ICU Outreach team operates from 0800 – 2100 hours seven days a week. There is a Clinical Nurse Manager for ICU and Theatres Services and Clinical Nurse Specialists for Acute and Chronic Pain. Non clinical support includes an Anaesthetic Co-ordinator, Anaesthetic Secretary / Pain Clinic secretary. The delivery suite is adjacent to the Anaesthetic Department. In 2008 there were 2,713 deliveries maintaining a gentle upward trend. A 24-hour epidural service is offered with an uptake of 39%. The Chronic Pain service is an outpatient service offering assessment and day-stay interventions. Teaching within the Department is undertaken at various times during the week on an informal basis, with a formal meeting at 1 p.m. on Fridays.

• 15 Consultant Staff
• 2 Associate Specialists
• 8 Staff Grades
• 5 ST3-7 Anaesthesia (Warwickshire School of Anaesthesia)
• 3 CT2 Anaesthesia
• 2 CT1 Anaesthesia
• 1 ST2 Acute Care Common Stem

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust is one of the UK's largest teaching Trusts. The Trust has nearly 250 consultants in various specialties and is the principal teaching hospital for Warwick Medical School students. University Hospital, Coventry is a level 1 trauma centre and has a high risk obstetric unit. It has 1250 beds and 27 operating theatres with another 5 operating theatres functioning at the Hospital of St Cross. Further information about UHCW NHS Trust can be obtained from the hospital website.

The anaesthesia department located in the operating theatre complex at University Hospital, Coventry is the largest in the Warwickshire School of Anaesthesia. It has more than a hundred anaesthetists with trainees making up a third of the total number.

The department is able to provide basic and intermediate training in all surgical specialties and super specialties. Advanced training is also available in obstetric anaesthesia, intensive care medicine, and neuroanaesthesia. Trainees interested in pre-hospital care can in addition, gain experience on the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance service.

Our exam preparatory courses for the primary and final FRCA have a national reputation for excellence. We also have a primary FRCA examiner in the department.

Post FRCA advanced training ‘fellowships’ in teaching, airway management and simulation are offered biannually to all trainees in the Warwickshire school. The Clinical Sciences Centre built on site of the University Hospital is one of the largest education centres in Europe and among other facilities has a full size mock up of operating theatres with a high fidelity simulator.

Research is strongly encouraged and scientific papers from the department are presented regularly at national and international meetings.