There are seven essential units of training at Intermediate Level, which all trainees are normally expected to complete satisfactorily before progressing to higher/advanced training. They are as follows:
- Anaesthesia for neurosurgery, neuroradiology and neuro critical care
- Cardiothoracic anaesthesia and cardiothoracic critical care
- Intensive care medicine
- General duties, which consists of:
- Airway management
- Day surgery
- Critical incidents
- General, urology and gynaecology
- Head and neck, maxillo-facial and dental surgery
- Management of respiratory and cardiac arrest
- Non-theatre
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Regional
- Sedation
- Transfer medicine
- Trauma and stabilisation
- Obstetrics
- Paediatrics
- Pain medicine
With the exception of the ‘general duties’ unit of training, it is recommended that trainees spend between four and twelve weeks in each unit of training; this should equate to a minimum of twenty half day theatre sessions to ensure trainees are able to complete all the essential learning outcomes. Many years of experience suggest that this amount of time may be insufficient for a number of trainees; further, the greater the clinical exposure the greater the learning experience. [See also 11.2.2 and 11.2.3].
