Ep 107 - January 2018 Round Up

Surviving a Relentless Winter: Reflections and Insights from St. Emlyn's Welcome Back to the St. Emlyn's Podcast Welcome to the St. Emlyn's podcast. I'm Iain Beardsell, and I'm Simon Carley. We are delighted to be back with you after what can only be described as a rather tricky winter. The winter season has always been challenging for emergency departments across the UK, but this year felt especially relentless. In this blog post, we will reflect on the past few months, share key insights, and look forward to exciting events on the horizon, including the St. Emlyn's Live conference. The Winter Struggle: A Nationwide Challenge Down south in our emergency department, we have faced significant challenges. Iain shared his experiences: "We have been having a heck of a time. It has been a real struggle. I'm utterly exhausted, and it has only been in the last couple of weeks that it felt like we could breathe again." The situation has been similarly difficult up north. Simon echoed these sentiments: "It's been a bit grim up north, to be honest. This winter felt different, harder. The emergency departments in the UK have always had problems over winter, but it has felt more relentless this year." Unprecedented Pressure and Relentless Demand We didn't have much of a summer to recuperate, and the winter was relentless day in and day out. Our department saw unprecedented pressure, with patient numbers pushing us to our limits. Interesting statistics from our department showed consecutive days of being over capacity, creating concerns about patient care and safety. Despite the exhaustion, we managed to maintain a high standard of care, with complaints remaining at normal levels and even receiving more compliments than usual. Coping Strategies and Positive Outcomes Maintaining patient care while looking after ourselves has been a challenge. We have implemented various strategies to keep on track, from educational events to incredible clinical work. Reflecting on our achievements, Simon highlighted the importance of continuing education and maintaining healthcare standards even under pressure. "We have done some amazing things over the winter, and it is something we can be really proud of," he said. Understanding Public Perception and Political Activity The public's understanding of the pressures in the healthcare system has increased, although tolerance for the challenges faced remains limited. Political activity over the winter saw clinical leads writing to the Prime Minister, and emergency medicine frequently made the front pages of newspapers. However, recent events, such as the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, have shifted the focus away from A&E crowded corridors, providing some relief. Looking Forward to St. Emlyn's Live We have many exciting events coming up this year, including the highly anticipated St. Emlyn's Live conference. Scheduled for Tuesday, the 9th of October in Manchester, this one-day conference will bring us out from behind our microphones and keyboards to present live. The event promises to be hugely cost-effective, with an incredible lineup of speakers from around the world, including Claire Richmond from Sydney Hems, Natalie May, Salim Rezy from the US, and Kat Evans from South Africa. Interactive Learning and Cost-Effective Education We have designed St. Emlyn's Live to be an interactive conference, reflecting everything we aim for in our podcasts and blogs. The conference is priced at £150 for consultants, with discounts available for trainees, registrars, doctors in training, allied health professionals, nurses, and medical students. Given the limited venue size, we expect tickets to sell out quickly, so we encourage early booking. Post-Conference Teaching Course For those looking for more in-depth learning, we are hosting a teaching course on the 10th and 11th of October, directly after the conference. This course focuses on practical education techniques, helping clinician educators improve th