Acute Care Common Stem is a two-year programme which covers the acute specialties of Anaesthesia, Acute Medicine (General Internal), Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine. The ACCS programme is an alternative route into Anaesthesia and Acute Medicine instead of Core Anaesthesia or Core Medicine Training. ACCS is the only route to enter training in Emergency Medicine.
The two-year ACCS Programme will:
Enable the trainee to approach any critically injured or ill patient with confidence and in a structured manner;
Understand resuscitation and management of a range of medical and surgical conditions;
Develop practical skills in line insertion, airway management, wound care, fracture manipulation and many more;
Understand how intensive care can be applied to the critical patient;
Realise when 'end of life' decisions are appropriate.
The ACCS Programme at Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust allows trainees to build the experience and knowledge to then commence training in their chosen specialty. Trainees at DGT exit in Anaesthesia and are, therefore, allocated a Consultant Anaesthetist as the Educational Supervisor.
CT1 Year:
The year consists of two six-month posts in Acute Medicine (Clinical Decisions Unit) and Emergency Medicine. The majority of learning is via direct patient interaction and in managing cases with seniors.
CT2 Year:
This year consists of nine-months of Anaesthesia and three-months of Intensive Care Medicine. For the first few weeks of the placement the trainee will be an ‘Anaesthetic Novice’ which means there is no on-call and the time is spent with a Consultant in theatre learning how to give a basic anaesthetic. This novice period ends when the trainee completes the basic competencies and is able to join the on call rota. This period can last anything between 8- 16 weeks depending on the progression towards achieving Initial Assessment of Competency (IAC).
Within the Trust the ACCS Trainees attend the specialty teaching sessions provided by the departments alongside their Core Specialty colleagues. These programmes assist in developing skills in specialist areas whilst having the opportunity to form links with specialty colleagues.
Trainees are also invited to attend the Medical Grand Round and Audit sessions. In addition there is access to Leadership forums and Simulation teaching events.
e-Portfolio
Trainees are required to register with their parent College for the electronic e-Portfolio:
Trainees are required to keep their e-Portfolios up to date; this is regularly monitored by the Clinical Education Department and support provided as required. The portfolios are regularly assessed at the Local Faculty Group Meetings with trainees being provided rapid supportive feedback.
Local Faculty Group
The Local Faculty Group (LFG) consists of the college tutor, medical education department, clinical and educational supervisors and allied healthcare professionals in the department.
LFG meetings take place every 4 months at the end of each rotation. This allows for feedback from both training and non-training grade doctors, and the opportunity to review highlights and areas of improvement/concerns. Trainee teaching attendance and e-portfolio progress are also discussed, to identify any factors contributing to limited educational opportunities and any further support required.
Following the LFG, feedback is presented to the Local Education Board (LEB) by each department for review.
Related Items
ACCS within HEKSS
Please click the link for more info.
Royal Colleges for ACCS
Click on the link for details of curriculum, e-portfolio, and assessments.
ACCS trainees link to the Royal College of their parent specialty. The websites have detailed information on curricula, assessments and requirements for successful completion of training.
