LO5

Provide safe basic anaesthetic care including sedation

At completion of LO5 a trainee will be able to: 

  • Pre-operatively assess, optimise and prepare patients for anaesthesia

  • Safely induce, maintain and support recovery from anaesthesia including recognition and management of complications

  • Provide urgent or emergency anaesthesia to ASA 1E and 2E patients requiring uncomplicated surgery including stabilization and transfer

  • Provide safe procedural sedation for ASA 1E and 2E patients

To support UK-based Emergency Medicine trainees in achieving the ACCS learning outcome of providing safe basic anaesthetic care, including sedation, the following resources are recommended:

  1. e-Learning Anaesthesia (e-LA) Platform
    This interactive web-based learning resource, developed by the Royal College of Anaesthetists in partnership with e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH), covers the knowledge and key concepts underpinning the anaesthetic curriculum. It's designed to help trainees prepare for the FRCA examinations and supports the appraisal and revalidation of career-grade anaesthetists.

  2. Royal College of Anaesthetists' Novice Guide
    This guide supports novice trainees during their first three to six months on the training programme, providing key documents and a step-by-step approach to help trainees get started.

  3. RCEM Curriculum on Anaesthetic Care
    The Royal College of Emergency Medicine provides detailed guidance on achieving competencies related to safe anaesthetic care and sedation, outlining key capabilities and descriptors for trainees.

  4. RCEM Procedural Sedation in Adults Best Practice Guideline
    This document sets standards for Emergency Department sedation in adults, approved by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the College of Emergency Medicine. It provides comprehensive guidelines to ensure safe and effective sedation practices in the Emergency Department.

These resources collectively support the development of competencies required to provide safe basic anaesthetic care, including sedation, in line with ACCS learning outcomes.

Descriptors: 

  • Understand the risks, aetiology, treatment and control processes of infection including the need for and ability to perform an aseptic non-touch technique

  • Pre-operatively assess patients’ suitability for anaesthesia, prescribe suitable pre-medication and recognise when further investigation or optimisation is required prior to commencing surgery and adequately communicate this to the patient or their family

  • Safely induce anaesthesia in ASA 1 and 2 patients, recognise and deal with complications associated with induction

  • Maintain anaesthesia for the relevant procedure, utilise appropriate monitoring and effectively interpret the information it provides to ensure the safety of the anaesthetised patient, as a member of the multi-disciplinary theatre team

  • Safely care for a patient recovering from anaesthesia, recognise and treat the common associated complications and manage appropriate post-operative analgesia, anti-emesis and fluid therapies

  • Provide urgent or emergency anaesthesia to ASA 1E and 2E patients requiring uncomplicated surgery

  • Plan and deliver safe sedation using appropriate agents for ASA 1E and 2E patients requiring procedures

Entrustment Decisions:

  • Will be able to pre-operatively assess, optimise and prepare patients for anaesthesia

  • Will be able to provide urgent or emergency anaesthesia and perioperative care to ASA 1 and 2 patients requiring uncomplicated elective and emergency surgery

  • Will be able to provide safe procedural sedation for ASA 1 and 2 patients

Level 2b by end of ACCS

Evidence to inform decisions include:

  • HALO in Sedation

  • IAC

  • MCR

  • DOPS

  • MSF

  • Logbook of cases

  • Simulation training with assessment 

Page Contributors

Dr Sunny Jutla
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Lead for EM3

Tom Brown
Website Designer