Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Provider course 11E
ATLS® is a global course, teaching a systematic process of trauma care for patients with life-threatening injuries.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is the only provider of ATLS® in the UK.
Throughout this two-day interactive course, highly knowledgeable faculty will help you develop practical, theoretical and personal skills in a safe environment so that you can assess and manage trauma patients in a systematic way.
ATLS® is a hybrid course, with mandatory pre-course e-learning that must be completed in full by 7am the day before the face-to-face course. It takes approximately 20-30 hours to complete the pre-course e-learning. For more information please visit the Format tab below.
This course is worth 34 CPD points
We accept bookings and applications from clinicians who work or live in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Malta and British Overseas Territories.
Membership and other discounts apply on all courses held at Bjorn Saven Centre (RCS England, London). Members receive a 10% discount (worth £99.90) on ATLS® Provider courses. Please go to booking options for details. Explore our membership options.
Where can I attend ATLS® Provider?
ATLS® Provider courses are delivered at the Bjorn Saven Centre (RCS England, London) and centres in the UK. See below for upcoming course dates, locations and course fees (course fees vary between venues).
Please note, you cannot book regional course places through this website.
The ATLS® Provider course on 18-19 November 2025 is the pilot of the new 11th edition of the ATLS® programme due to be launched early in 2026.
- £999.00
- 2 Days
- 34.00 CPD Points
Suitability
This course is only suitable for doctors at FY2 grade and above, equivalent staff grades, eligible advanced clinical practitioners (ACP) and eligible hospital-based dentists. ACPs can check their eligibility for the course with their local ATLS® centre or the RCS. A hospital-based dentist must check their eligibility for the course with the RCS.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate the concepts and principles of the primary and secondary patient assessments
- Establish management priorities in a trauma situation
- Initiate primary and secondary management necessary for the emergency management of acute life-threatening conditions in a timely manner
- In each simulation, demonstrate the skills related to xABCDE which are often required during initial assessment and treatment of patients with multiple injuries
Format
ATLS® combines a variety of well established and effective learning formats such as interactive discussions, clinical scenarios with embedded skills and demonstrations. You will be encouraged to share knowledge and experience with your peers throughout the course.
Some ATLS® centres use animal tissue on courses. Please check with the centre in advance if this is a concern for you. The Bjorn Saven Centre doesn't use animal tissue on ATLS®.
Mandatory, pre-course e-learning
Before the course, you will be required to complete the pre-course e-learning consisting of online modules, videos and pre-course MCQs. It takes approximately 1-2 hours to complete each module and may take up to 30 hours to complete the e-learning. Full completion of the e-learning is mandatory requirement to attend the course. Participants who have not completed the e-learning in full by 7am the day before the course will not be allowed to participant in the course and will forfeit their course fee.
Course participants will receive access to the pre-course e-learning resources on the RCS VLE via notification with login details four weeks before the course at the latest.
Course participants are also required to read the ATLS® participant course manual in full to prepare for the assessments on the course.
Assessment
You will be assessed throughout the course and must pass all assessed sessions to pass the course and be awarded ATLS® provider status.
There are interactive sessions and clinical scenario stations and your performance of practical skills and contribution to discussions which test participants' core knowledge will be assessed throughout these sessions.
On the final day of the course, you will take an MCQ test consisting of 40 questions with a pass mark of 30/40. If you are unsuccessful you can take up to two resits within three months of the course. You will not be given your answer sheet or told which questions you answered incorrectly. Reading the ATLS® participant manual prior to the course is the best preparation for the MCQs - there are no lectures in the face-to-face component of the course; you must arrive with a high level of clinical knowledge.
Initial assessment of the trauma patient will take place on the last day of the course. You will be given a simulated clinical scenario and you will be assessed on the initial assessment and management of a patient according to objective assessment criteria. If you are unsuccessful in your first attempt on the course you will be given the opportunity to repeat the initial assessment of the trauma patient on the course. If unsuccessful, at the course director's discretion, you might be given a final resit on another course.
If you have not met the minimum standard to pass the course you will not be given the opportunity to re-sit failed sessions and you will have to successfully complete another provider course to gain ATLS® provider status.
Additional Information
Course content
The ATLS® course consists of the following sessions.
- Interactive discussions
- Scenario stations
- Initial assessment of the trauma patient practice and testing
- Triage
- Interactive sessions and demonstrations
How to verify your ATLS® Provider status
ATLS® provider status lasts for four years. To reverify, you can take our one-day ATLS® reverification course at any point within six months of your Provider status expiry date.
How to become an ATLS® Instructor
While participating in an ATLS® course, you may be nominated as having Instructor Potential (IP).
Faculty are looking for participants who demonstrate excellent core knowledge, a commitment to the ATLS® principles and the skills and the attitude necessary for the role of an ATLS® instructor. You must also work at ST 4 level (or equivalent) or above.
If you have been nominated as an ATLS® IP, you will need to attend an ATLS® Instructor course. Please take a look at our list of ATLS® Instructor course
Becoming an ATLS® instructor is a fulfilling way to further your professional development while sharing your trauma management knowledge with motivated course participants and colleagues. Alongside this, we are always keen to hear from people interested in becoming faculty for other RCS courses.
A globally-renowned course
The Royal College of Surgeons is proud to be the exclusive provider of ATLS® in the UK. The course and methodology were developed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in 1978 and are now taught in over 80 countries.
Booking Options
There are currently no dates available for this course