Anaesthetic Updates

Our three-day hybrid conference will help you stay informed when it comes to the key issues surrounding best anaesthetic practice.

45 days left

Key details

Date: 4 to 6 February 2026 | 09:00-17:00

Location: Hybrid, RCoA/Online

Availability: Places available

Clinical content lead(s): Prof Cyprian Mendonca, Dr A R Sajayan & Dr Umair Ansari

CPD credits: 15

 

Connect. Learn. Inspire.

Stay ahead of the curve and join us for three days of new ideas in anaesthesia, critical care and pain management. Discover new developments on the horizon from today’s expert specialists and learn how best to combat the growing issues you will face in your anaesthetic practice.

Join us in February to connect with your peers, question the specialty experts, and bring back new ideas that will improve your own practice.

Whether you’re newly qualified or a seasoned consultant, this is your opportunity to:

  • Network in person with colleagues from across the UK and beyond
  • Share ideas and experiences in a collaborative, friendly setting
  • Engage with expert-led lectures covering the latest evidence, practice updates, and policy changes
  • Attend online if you can’t make it to London — with all sessions streamed live and available on demand post-conference

And when the day’s learning is done, enjoy everything London has to offer — world-class dining, culture, and entertainment just steps from the venue!

Feedback from our recent Anaesthetic Updates events:

  • 'Essential for the general anaesthetist'
  • 'I really enjoyed the event. I attended all 3 days and they all had excellent topics and speakers'
  • "The clinical updates were all very useful for my current sphere of practice. The non-clinical talks were really enjoyable and thought provoking. Overall a good balance of topics compared to other conferences."
  • "The best conference I have ever attended. Very informative and well delivered."

Don’t miss this chance to Reconnect, Recharge and Reflect.

"Get some R&R...&R"

How to find us

Royal College of Anaesthetists

Churchill House

35 Red Lion Square

Holborn

London

WC1R 4SG

08.30-09.15 Registration and refreshments  
09.15-09.20 Welcome and introduction Dr A R Sajayan, Birmingham
09.20-09.40 RCoA on the move - an update RCoA President / Vice-President
Session 1 The latest in Airway Chair - Dr A R Sajayan, Birmingham
09.40-10.05 Airway Triage - goodbye difficult airway Dr Johannes Huitink, Amsterdam
10.05-10.30 Airway Training in the RCoA Curriculum Dr Sneh Shah, London
10.30-10.40 Discussion and Q&A All panel
10.40-11.10 Break  
Session 2 Obs and Paeds Anaesthesia Chair - Prof Cyprian Mendonca, Coventry
11.10-11.30 The high-risk obstetric patient Dr Sarah Armstrong, Southampton
11.30-11.50 Updates in managing postpartum haemorrhage Dr Desire Adansi, London
11.50-12.10 Regional anaesthesia in paediatrics Dr Naveen Murali, Birmingham
12.10-12.30 Discussion and Q&A All panel
12.30-13.30 Lunch  
Session 3 Controversies in Anaesthesia Chair - TBC
13.30-13.50 Patient consent - getting it right Dr Anna Nelson, Sheffield
13.50-14.10 Do we still need volatile anaesthetics? Prof Ben Shelley, Glasgow
14.10-14.30 Obesity and difficult airway - a myth? Dr Andrew McKechnie, London
14.30-14.50 Discussion and Q&A All panel
14.50-15.20 Break  
Session 4 Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Management Chair - Prof Cyprian Mendonca, Coventry
15.20-15.40 Regional anaesthesia for hip and knee surgery Dr Laith Malhas, Coventry
15.40-16.00 Patient experience – opioids and managing chronic pain Mr James Ingram, London
16.00-16.20 Role and types of neuromodulation in acute pain settings Dr Athmaja Thottungal, Kent
16.20-16.40 Discussion and Q&A All panel
16.40-16.45 Final remarks and close Dr A R Sajayan, Birmingham

 

Please note: this programme may be subject to changes

08.45-09.15 Registration and refreshments  
09.15-09.20 Welcome back and housekeeping Prof Cyprian Mendonca, Coventry
Session 5 Education - all the Facts Chair - Dr Umair Ansari, Coventry
09.20-09.40 Elevating airway education Dr Gunjeet Dua, London
09.40-10.00 Supporting a Resident to explore OOP opportunities Dr Martin Minich, Coventry 
10.00-10.20 Update on FRCA Exams – what’s next? Dr Satya Francis, Leicester 
10.20-10.40 Discussion and Q&A All panel
10.40-11.10 Break  
Session 6 Thinking Outside the Box Chair - Dr Gunjeet Dua, London
11.10-11.30 E-Learning for Residents new to Obstetric Anaesthesia Dr Hasanthi Gooneratne, Essex
11.30-11.50 AI in Anaesthesia: Hype or Hope? Prof Patrick Schoettker, Switzerland
11.50-12.10 'On the rock, and in a hard place' Dr Lizzie Beattie, Stornoway
12.10-12.30 Discussion and Q&A All panel
12.30-13.30 Lunch  
Session 7 Clinical Leadership Chair - Prof Joyce Yeung
13.30-14.00 The PANDOS study: Where does the UK stand? Prof Patrice Forget, Aberdeen
14.00-14.30 NAP8 Dr Yin Lim, Cardiff
14.30-14.45 Discussion and Q&A All panel
14.45-15.15 Break  
Session 8 Keynote Lecture - Coroner's Court Chair - Dr Andrew Smith, RCoA Council
15.15-16.00 The role, if any, of coroners’ prevention of future death reports for anaesthesia related mortality Ms Katherine Henderson, Kent
16.00-16.10 Discussion and Q&A  
16.10-16.15 Final remarks and close Prof Cyprian Mendonca, Coventry
16.15-17.15 Drinks reception and networking  

 

Please note: this programme may be subject to changes

08.45-09.15 Registration and refreshments  
09.15-09.20 Welcome back and housekeeping Dr Umair Ansari, Coventry
Session 9 Recent Advances Chair - Dr Umair Ansari, Coventry
09.20-09.40 Getting it Right First Time: Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Dr Mike Swart, Torquay
09.40-10.00 Hot topics in perioperative medicine Dr Alex Isted, Manchester
10.00-10.20 Problems with Processed EEG monitoring Dr Mark Barley, Nottingham
10.20-10.40 Discussion and Q&A All panel
10.40-11.10 Break  
Session 10 BJA Panel - Staying up to date: recent clinical guidelines important to your patients Chair - Prof Hugh Hemmings, New York - USA
11.10-11.30 The Difficult airway Society 2025 Intubation Guidelines Dr Imran Ahmad, London
11.30-11.50 Recent Updates to Malignant Hyperthermia Guidelines Dr Jonathan Bilmen, Leeds
11.50-12.10 Guidelines for the perioperative management of GLP-1 receptor agonists Dr Nicholas Levy, Suffolk
12.10-12.30 Discussion and Q&A All panel
12.30-13.30 Lunch  
13.30-14.00 Keynote Lecture - Paediatric airway update Dr James Montgomerie, Birmingham
Session 11 Cardiac and Thoracic Care Chair - Dr A R Sajayan, Birmingham
14.00-14.20 Point of Care Ultrasound and it’s use in Anaesthesia practice Dr Nitin Arora, Birmingham
14.20-14.40 Management of complex tracheal pathologies  Dr Sajith Kumar, Birmingham
14.40-15.00 Non-Cardiac surgery for a Cardiac patient Dr Hema Nair, Cambridge 
15.00-15.20 Discussion and Q&A  
15.20-15.30 Final remarks and close Dr A R Sajayan

 

Please note: this programme may be subject to changes

Pricing

Pricing detailed below to attend in-person.

ATTEND IN-PERSON AND RECEIVE AN EARLY-BIRD 15% DISCOUNT!

If you are planning to attend in-person, we are pleased to offer you a 15% discount, applied to any category in-person rate. Enter this code during the booking process - RCoA15.

The discount code is valid for bookings made on or before 30 November 2025.

Updates Hybrid Pricing table 25-26_In Person

Pricing detailed below to attend online.

Updates Hybrid Pricing table 25-26_Online

Pricing Terms and Conditions

Payment must be made at the time of booking unless otherwise stated. The RCoA, FICM and FPM are unable to hold places on events without payment. Credit or debit card payments must be made online via our card payment handler Stripe, or by phone. We do not accept purchase orders or raise invoices for places on our events. 

Discounts are available for some membership types at the rates stated below. You must be eligible for the discount both at the time of the booking and at the time of the event itself. We may ask for proof of your member status at any point. If you are unable to prove your entitlement to the discount we may charge you the full event rate, or invite you to update your membership status accordingly. In such a situation we may withhold access to the event until your updated payment clears, or your new membership status is confirmed.

We are offering a fee for Low Middle Income Countries for online attendance, the cost will be £15 per day. Please email events@rcoa.ac.uk to check your eligibility.

To view the Event terms and conditions please click here.

Visiting London

Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury

The RCoA have agreed a preferential rate with the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury. If you would like to book using the RCoA rate click the link below where you will be able to select the hotel and dates required. 

Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury - CLICK HERE to access the booking platform.

Please note: the rate per night may be increased by the hotel based on demand so we suggest booking as early as possible. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours prior to check in. The terms and conditions are available to view on the hotel booking pages.

The RCoA accepts no responsibility for your booking or stay with the hotel. Any queries should be directed to the Hotel.

Grange Hotels

The RCoA have agreed a preferential rate with the Grange Hotels, all within a short walk of the College. To book click the link below and enter code 'C0000712' for the discount to be applied.

  • The Beauchamp - Classic room - £159 plus VAT
  • The Buckingham - Double Studio - £159 plus VAT
  • The Portland - Double Studio - £159 plus VAT
  • The Clarendon - Superior room - £149 plus VAT

Other room types and prices are available at each hotel.

Grange Hotels - CLICK HERE to access the booking platform.

The RCoA accepts no responsibility for your booking or stay with the above hotels. Any queries should be directed to the Hotel.

Google map image showing the short walk from Grange Hotels to the RCoA

DoubleTree by Hilton, London

You can book directly with the DoubleTree by Hilton to secure a preferential rate.

DoubleTree by Hilton - CLICK HERE to access the booking platform.

Enter the corporate code under the “Special Rates” section by selecting “Corporate Account.” The code to enter is 113507907.

Please note, at peak dates there may be limited availability.

DoubleTree by Hilton London - West End, 92 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 4BH

The RCoA accepts no responsibility for your booking or stay with the above hotels. Any queries should be directed to the Hotel.

RCoA Event Offers

  • Visit the Square Pig and receive a 10% discount

The RCoA have secured a 10% discount for delegates to use at the Square Pig Pub. It is located opposite the RCoA building, just across Red Lion Square.

The Square Pig is a lively pub perfect for working lunches, afternoon coffees, or after-work drinks. With a mix of long tables, cosy corners, and private areas, it’s ideal for everything from casual meetups to celebrations with colleagues and friends.

Collect your discount card from the RCoA registration desk and show to the Square Pig team. You will receive 10% off - valid all your round, no time restrictions and available for food and drink.

Learn more about the Square Pig here - click to learn more about the Square Pig.