An ageing population changes more than the number of patients arriving in the emergency department. This opening essay in the 2016 ‘Big Questions’ series examines complex illness, social care needs and an ageing workforce, arguing for training and service planning that look beyond immediate pressures.
The BIG questions in EM. Part 1 – Demographics. St.Emlyn’s Read More
Janos Baombe shares experience-based suggestions for preparing for night shifts, coping during them and recovering afterwards. The post covers sleep, food, caffeine, breaks, team interactions and getting home safely, while recognising that clinicians need to find an approach that fits their own circumstances.
Tips on how to prepare and survive your night shifts Read More
An introductory 2015 overview of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents for emergency clinicians. The post considers recognising unusual presentations, triage, broad patterns of exposure and sources of specialist help, encouraging further preparation rather than presenting itself as a complete incident-management guide.
CBRN: An Introduction. St Emlyn’s Read More
What might emergency clinicians learn from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War? This reflective essay applies ideas about preparation, self-awareness, teamwork and adaptability to the pressures of emergency care, treating organisational challenges as the adversary and explicitly rejecting the idea that patients are enemies.
A satirical ‘Fellowship of Corridor Medicine’ introduces a serious discussion of emergency department overcrowding. Simon Carley follows the spoof with practical reflections on departmental leadership, communication, sharing risk across the hospital and supporting patients and staff when demand overwhelms the space available for safe care.
Studying for FCM (Fellow of Corridor Medicine) at St.Emlyn’s Read More
Why does accurate emergency department coding matter beyond hospital income? This 2014 podcast introduction explains the English payment system used at the time and how incomplete records can distort accounts of the care patients receive, encouraging clinicians to record investigations, treatment and discharge information carefully.
Show Me The Money: Coding at St.Emlyn’s Read More
A 2014 satire recasts the emergency department four-hour target as a fictional drug, ‘Targetine’. Iain Beardsell uses the analogy to question the evidence behind performance targets, their unintended effects on priorities and staff wellbeing, and whether patient-centred outcomes receive the same scrutiny as compliance.
The Ignored Drug Scandal in Emergency Medicine Read More
An archery metaphor opens a 2014 discussion about targets in emergency medicine. The accompanying podcast asks whether targets inevitably distort care or can be used to improve services, with reflections on short-stay medicine, departmental pressures and keeping the interests of patients and staff in view.
The Archers of the Emergency Department. St.Emlyn’s Read More
