Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS) is a three-year training programme enabling Foundation programme trainees to embark into a career in emergency medicine (EM), anaesthetics, intensive care medicine (ICM) and acute medicine (AM). Trainees will exit the ACCS programme in EM, AM or anaesthetics. If run through training has been selected by a trainee, they will transition into higher training on successful completion of the ACCS programme whereas Core ACCS trainees will need to reapply into higher training via open competition.
Trainees undertake six-month attachments in Acute medicine (AM), Emergency medicine (EM), Anaesthesia and Intensive care medicine (ICM). ACCS forms an element of the curricula for the higher specialty training programme CCT programmes in AM, anaesthesia, EM and ICM training. It is the only route for entry into EM training for trainees exiting the foundation programme.
The components of training in ACCS are:
- ST1/CT1:One year Emergency Medicine + Acute Internal Medicine (six months each)
- ST2/ST2:One year Anaesthesia + Intensive Care Medicine (six months each)
- ST3/CT3: Parent specialty specific
The three main training exit themes linked to the ACCS programme are managed by the respective schools and therefore the trainees are overseen by the specialty training committees (STCs). The ACCS STC meetings are chaired by Dr Lorraine Apps.
For further information please click on the specialty hyperlinks below:
- Anaesthesia (ACCS) committee is chaired by Dr Mark Way at the School of Anaesthesia STC. The training programme director for ACCS Anaesthetics (TPD) is Dr Nicky Deacy.
- Acute Medicine (ACCS) is managed by Dr Nikhil Patel (Chair) at the School of Medicine Core Medical Training STC and the IMT TPD is Dr Amir Jehangir.
- Emergency Medicine (ACCS) is chaired by Dr Lorraine Apps at the School of Emergency Medicine STC. The TPD is Dr Jonathan Leung (ACCS)’.
Each of the above committees includes the ACCS consultant leads at each training site and also incorporates academic, educational and trainee representation. The committee is administered by the specialty workforce team.
Each hospital trust which delivers training in ACCS specialties has a local faculty group led by the ACCS trust lead, responsible for local planning and support of ACCS trainees and this feeds into the overarching local academic board at the trust level, bringing together HEE and royal colleges with jointly appointed heads and a support structure.
Many of our trainees stay on to undertake one of our excellent higher speciality training programmes and then stay to live and work in the region.
Our programmes span the whole of the Kent, Surrey and Sussex counties with good relationships and links with other LETBs. The aim of ACCS training is to produce multi-competent junior doctors able to recognise and manage sick patient and who have the complementary specialty training required for the programmes in emergency medicine, acute medicine, anaesthesia and ICM.
For information regarding entry into emergency medicine, please see RCEM Defined Entry Routes into Emergency Medicine webpage.
Handbook
Our school handbook outlines our responsibilities in providing your training, and your responsibility to ensure it goes well. It provides links throughout to detailed information on your training.
Where do trainees train?
To find out more about each training location, please visit the Local Education Provider webpage here.