COVID-19 resources
Last updated: Wednesday 10 June
For guidance and for rolling updates on the national and RCS response to COVID-19, see rcseng.ac.uk/covid19.
Contents
- Our online learning
- Our webinars
- Our blogs, news, updates and opinion
- Our support for your mental health and wellbeing
- Information for trainees
- Hubs, tools and guidance from other organisations
Our online learning
We have made relevant learning resources open access on our virtual learning environment to help surgeons dealing with the spread of the pandemic. Access the full catalogue
- General assessment of an unwell patient
Details an algorithm for assessing unwell patients taken from our START (Systematic Training in Acute Illness Recognition and Treatment) and CCrISP (Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient) courses. - Technical skills
It is possible that you will be required to undertake procedures that you are unfamiliar with. Mastering the basic skills shown in this section will enable you to significantly develop your technical competence. - Human factors, self-preservation and reflection
Your behaviour can significantly affect your colleagues and the safety of your patients. This section will help you remain working as effectively as you can during stressful times. - Disease and organ specific revision
This section is intended for those facing emergency patients with a multitude of potential presentations. Offers digestible overviews of a variety of emergency topics. - Trauma patient management
Aimed at newly qualified doctors and nurses, retired clinicians returning to practice, and clinicians who have not been managing trauma in their normal practice. Closely based on the Advanced Trauma Life Support® course, they teaching a systematic process of trauma care for patients with life-threatening injuries.
Video: Surgical handwashing technique
Video: How to stop your glasses fogging up when wearing a mask
Our webinars
Our president and chief executive host a regular webinar series on COVID-19 topics with an extensive Q&A session. Past topics include mental health and wellbeing for surgeons, the impact on dental surgery and how surgical trainees are being affected.
Our blogs, news, updates and opinion
- Our COVID-19 Updates are accessible to RCS members and non-members. It summarises updates to guidance and policy as well as global journal and research content.
- Issue 7, 2 July
- Issue 6, 8 June
- Issue 5, 25 May
- Issue 4, 12 May
- Issue 3, 27 April
- Issue 2, 13 April
- Issue 1, 30 March
- Our president’s COVID-19 roundups
- Views from the NHS frontline. our guest blog series
- Our press releases, which include our immediate reactions to new developments
Our support for your mental health and wellbeing
We’re aware of the toll that the pandemic is taking on the mental health of our members, and have expanded our Confidential Support and Advice Service to help. Call 020 7869 6221 to access emotional support and advice from a trained counsellor, or arrange peer-to-peer support. Lines are open 24/7.
Information for trainees
- ASiT are surveying trainees to gather data redeployment and recovery of training. Take the survey
- HEE’s COVID-19 information for trainees hub and FAQ page contain details of rotations, recruitment, training and specialty-specific resources.
- JCST's key documents page contains regular statements on trainee progression, TIG fellowships, voluntary recording of COVID-19 experiences in the ISCP and specialty recruitment plans.
- ARCP assessments for 2020 have been adapted to ensure patient care remains a primary focus. The AoMRC has issued a contingency plan (PDF, link sourced: 19 March) for ARCPs in the UK and Ireland.
- AoMRC’s MTI scheme process guidance (PDF, link sourced: 9 April 2020)
- COPMeD's Gold Guide
Hubs, tools and guidance from other organisations
This section lists a selection of resources from other organisations that we believe is important to surgeons, and is not a comprehensive listing of all guidance available.
Guidance that the RCS has produced or contributed to is listed on the COVID-19 information page. Guidance written by the Faculty of Dental Surgeons is listed on the COVID-19 dental hub.
- Royal College of Anaesthetists and partners: Managing theatre processes for planned surgery between COVID-19 surges
- NHS England: Specialty guides for secondary care
- HEE: Guidance on acting up as a consultant (NHS-only sharepoint)
- FICM: Rapid induction guidance for critical care
Hubs
- NHS.UK: Learning hub
- AoMRC: COVID-19 hub
- HEE: COVID-19 online learning hub
- PHE: information and guidance for health professionals
- MHRA: Coronavirus
- GMC: Ethical hub
- HEI Wales: Coronavirus
- gov.wales: HSCP guidance
Specific guidance and issues
- CPOC: Delivering on Opportunities for Better Health and Perioperative Care in the COVID-19 Era
- National day surgery delivery pack and appendix
- NHS England: Guidance for essential workers on getting tested
- NHS England: Workforce redeployment guidance
- NHS England: Workforce redeployment guidance for secondary care (PDF, sourced 26 March)
- NHS England: Open for Business campaign materials
Wellbeing
- AoMRC: Wellbeing hub
- HEE: Wellbeing hub and helpline
- NHS People: Wellbeing hub
- NHS Practitioner Health: Wellbeing podcasts
Third-party apps
- Doctors’ Association UK: NHS PPE app
- frontline.live: Volunteer utility helping those who need PPE to connect with providers
- weshare.healthcare: Not-for-profit innovation and adaptation sharing hub for health professionals dealing with the pandemic