UHNM hosts UK's first simulation-based endoscopy sedation training course
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) has hosted what is believed to be the UK's first endoscopy sedation training course to include immersive simulation, helping healthcare professionals practise key skills in a realistic environment and support safer patient care.
The Sedation in Endoscopy Symposium took place at the Simulation Suite and Extended Reality Laboratory (ERL) at County Hospital, Stafford, bringing together consultants, surgeons, anaesthetists, nurse endoscopists, nurses and trainees from across the country.
The course combined expert talks with hands-on simulation, covering the latest sedation guidance, medicines, patient monitoring, airway management, teamwork and how to recognise and manage sedation-related complications.
The course was organised by Dr Srisha Hebbar, consultant gastroenterologist and therapeutic endoscopist at UHNM with the Midlands endoscopy training academy (META).
Dr Hebbar said: "Sedation in endoscopy is a really important topic because we are carrying out more and more complex procedures, including treatments that patients would previously have needed surgery for. As these procedures become more advanced, the need for safe, effective sedation has increased significantly.
"Although recent guidance from the British Society of Gastroenterology and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy highlights the importance of training in sedation, there has never been a dedicated simulation-based course like this before. We believe this is the first of its kind in the UK.
"This was a real collaborative effort involving our simulation team, consultant anaesthetists, Advanced Life Support trainers and national experts who helped develop the latest UK and European guidance. We wanted to create realistic learning experiences that reflected clinical practice and prepared teams for situations they may encounter.
"The feedback has been excellent, we didn't set out to be the first simply for the sake of it, we identified a genuine need for this type of training and wanted to address it.
"At UHNM we carry out around 15,000 endoscopy procedures each year, many of which involve sedation, so improving education in this area will benefit our own patients while also helping to develop the endoscopy workforce nationally.
"Quality and safety have always been a priority and passion for me, and it has been a really proud moment to see how well the course has been received and we hope this will be the first step.”