21 Portland Place
The Association’s headquarters at 21 Portland Place remained closed until July, with all staff working remotely as a result of COVID-19.
While the building was closed, a project was undertaken to replace the passenger lift. The staff team have now returned to the building
and are trialling hybrid working, splitting their time between working in the office and at home.
International Anaesthesia
Through our charitable foundation, we fund a range of projects
and activities to promote quality anaesthesia, critical care, pain
management, patient care and associated sub-specialties in
low-resourced environments through the exchange of skills and
knowledge.
The International Relations Committee (IRC) brings together
funding partners including the Association, Difficult Airway
Society, Royal College of Anaesthetists, Regional Anaesthesia
UK (RA-UK), Society for Intravenous Anaesthesia (SIVA) and the
World Anaesthesia Society (WAS) to award grant funding for
international projects.
During the last financial year, the IRC awarded funding for two
grants totalling £9,538 before the travel restrictions enforced by
COVID-19 resulted in the need to suspend the funding process.
Funding will resume when it is deemed safe for both applicants
and course attendees in-country. An IRC e-Education grant for
innovative digital educational projects aimed at low to lower-middle
income countries launched in the summer of 2021.
Following the creation of the Association’s International
Fellowship in 2020, our second International Fellow has been
appointed for a one year term to continue to provide knowledge
and support to the delivery of the Association’s international work
as a co-opted member or the IRC and SAFE Steering Group.
Through our international book programme, we donate books
to anaesthetic practitioners in low resourced environments. A
number of selected publications are available for donation on
request.
SAFE (Safer Anaesthesia from Education) programme
The SAFE programme is a collaboration between the Foundation
and World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists
(WFSA). July 2021 will mark the 10 year anniversary of SAFE
following the first pilot course held in Uganda in July 2012. SAFE
training courses have been created on obstetric and paediatric
anaesthesia and the SAFE Operating Room. All SAFE courses are
provided by trained volunteers with expertise in the specialty.
The SAFE project has trained 5451 clinicians, mostly anaesthesia
providers but also midwives, obstetricians, surgeons and other
physicians in 45 countries. Over 1,050 clinicians have been
trained as SAFE trainers.
Owing to the pandemic, the SAFE Steering Group agreed to
suspend the SAFE funding rounds. Work is underway to digitise
the SAFE project and learning material.
Dr Jolene Moore has recently taken over as chair of the SAFE
Programme Lead and Chair of the SAFE Steering Group from
Dr Isabeau Walker, who has been an integral part of the SAFE
programme since its inception.
SAFE Africa fundraising campaign
In 2017, the charity launched a new fundraising campaign,
SAFE Africa, which quickly gained momentum. The aim to raise
£100,000 to support the delivery of SAFE training in Africa and
this total has been surpassed. Since the start of the campaign
SAFE Africa funding has been awarded to nine projects totalling
£59,900. When the SAFE grant process re-opens for applications,
with these generous donations, we aim to continue to scale-up
the delivery of three-day SAFE obstetrics and paediatrics training
courses and sustainably improve anaesthesia education and care
in Africa in the long-term.
Safety
To promote safe anaesthesia through the provision of information, education, guidance
and expert advice to anaesthetists and healthcare stakeholders, the Association is working
in the following areas:
- The Association has a Safety Committee that provides expert opinion on safety issues
highlighted by members, the pharmaceutical industry, and equipment manufacturers.
- The Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group (SALG) is a collaboration with the Royal College of
Anaesthetists and NHS England/NHS Improvement and highlights potential or existing
patient safety issues to those practising anaesthesia. The Safe Anaesthesia Liaison
Group (SALG) launched a new website in 2021.
- We continue to work with other key stakeholders, e.g. MHRA, Barema and co-organised
the Patient Safety Conference 2021, which took place online.
- The updated National Essential Anaesthetic Drugs List (NEADL) was published.
The publication of guidelines is a core activity in promoting patient safety. During 2021 new
publications were produced on:
- Ergonomics in the anaesthetic workplace
- Trainee Handbook 13th edition
- Less than Full-Time Training in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine: An A-Z guide
(joint with the RCoA)
- Better musculoskeletal health for anaesthetists (joint with the Society for Occupational
Medicine)
- Regional analgesia for lower leg trauma and the risk of acute compartment syndrome
- Recommendations for standards of monitoring during anaesthesia and recovery
- Fire safety and emergency evacuation guidelines for intensive care units and operating
theatres (joint with the Intensive Care Society)
- Peri-operative management of patients with sickle cell disease
- Management of hip fractures
- Malignant hyperthermia
A working group has been set up to actively review and update older Association
guidelines.
Environment
We recognise that our actions have an impact on the environment and we
see sustainability and climate change as key strategic issues.
The Environment and Sustainability Committee is currently working on:
- A joint task group with the Sustainable Development Unit has been
formed to achieve goals set in the NHS Long Term Plan
- Supporting the Nitrous Oxide Project which is committed to flattening
anaesthetic nitrous oxide emissions by minimising system waste,
educating and promoting green practice, and assessing and applying
nitrous oxide catalytic cracking technologies where appropriate
- 2021 is the third year of our fellowship in Environmentally Sustainable
Anaesthesia in partnership with Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals and the
Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
- Environmental Champions Network established
- Barema and Association Environment Award & Green Star Awards
- Webinars on the environment and sustainability
- Published Anaesthetic waste: Safe and sustainable disposal: a
compendium of waste segregation flow charts for England and Wales.
Research and Innovation
Strategic priorities include patient safety, clinical outcomes,
innovation, education and training, professional issues,
environment, audits and QA/QI projects that involve guideline
implementation.
Owing to COVID-19 there has only been one round of research
grant funding in 2021, administered through the National
Institute of Academic Anaesthesia.
The Annual Innovation in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain
Award 2021 went to Dr Tim Craft (Somnus Scientific Limited)
with his innovation, Real-time blood propofol monitoring.
Diversity and Equality
The Association has published a Diversity and Equality policy
setting out the commitment to equality and inclusion in all
aspects of our work. The task group is currently gathering data
to allow monitoring of diversity in our activities; reviewing
diversity in the composition of our governance bodies; and
focusing on improving gender balance in faculty delivering our
educational events. A key aim is to ensure that we are responsive
to the needs of the diverse population of patients and health
professionals in the UK and Ireland.
Over the coming months, we will begin monitoring diversity
across protected characteristics and integrating diversity
and inclusion into all activities collaborating nationally and
internationally.
Advocacy and Campaigning
The team has led the Association’s responses to legislation,
select committee inquiries and public consultations, all of which
have touched on issues that are of interest and relevance to the
Association.
These include:
- the Health and Care Bill that is currently going through the
UK Parliament
- the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into
the pandemic caused by the backlog
- a consultation on proposed regulation for healthcare
professionals, including anaesthesia associates
- Health Education England’s consultation on its long-term
workforce strategy.
Meetings for the Association’s President with politicians across
the UK have been arranged, including the UK Parliament and
devolved legislatures, where we have raised issues on the
Association’s agenda and have sought out opportunities to work
with politicians on issues of mutual interest.
The team has been using engagement opportunities to
promote matters that are of interest to Association members,
such as the future of the workforce, recruitment and retention,
trainee anaesthetists, the impact the pandemic has had
on anaesthetists, patient safety, fatigue (see below) and
environmental and sustainability issues.
More supporters are backing the Fight Fatigue campaign,
including the European Patient Safety Foundation and the
Intensive Care Society. We have also discussed the campaign in
meetings with political stakeholders. The campaign’s working
group is looking ahead at plans for the next 18 months. The
Association will also continue to work on other campaigns
including Age and the Anaesthetist and the Anti-bullying
Alliance.
Representatives attended the 2021 Conservative and Labour
party conferences, which took place in Manchester and
Brighton, respectively. This provided an opportunity to engage
with political and third-party stakeholders, build relationships
and increase its profile.
Dr Mike Nathanson
President, Association of Anaesthetists