Regional Special Interest Area at Royal Cornwall Hospital October 2025

 

Regional anaesthesia is well-established at Royal Cornwall Hospital.  A specialist anaesthetic consultant group meet regularly to discuss and teach regional anaesthesia. Regional anaesthesia is embedded in the culture of our trauma and orthopaedic lists with well established awake hand surgery lists.  There are many opportunities for regional anaesthesia outside orthopaedic surgery including awake breast surgery, blunt chest wall injury analgesia, vascular anaesthesia and analgesia through to and general and gynae surgery. 

Other than clinical experience there are many opportunities to get involved in regional anaesthesia related projects.  During your SIA we would expect you to both learn from the regional anaesthetic group, and spread this knowledge and skill throughout the hospital.

A full time trainee undertaking an SIA over 6 months can expect:*

  • 2-3 days of clinical work with a regional focus per normal working week
  • Regional focus lists would include awake hand lists, awake breast surgery, upper and lower limb analgesia / anaesthesia
  • Once established and happy with several techniques the opportunity exists to create new analgesia pathways for varying surgery  
  • On call work on a 1:8 senior anaesthetic trainee rota
  • An educational supervisor who is a regional anaesthesia expert
  • 8 days within 6 months as SPA/EDT time (this can be taken as 16 half days if preferred)
  • Further weekly teaching opportunities via our new telecommunication suite.  This will be used to teach plan A blocks including chest wall blocks to anaesthetic trainees and the SAS and consultant body and possibly other directorates who have an interest
  • Access to a large library of regional anaesthesia journals - as regional fellow you will be expected to update and develop this 
  • Teaching: an opportunity to teach on the South West Regional Anaesthesia Course (SWRAC)
  • You would be encouraged to attend courses like the European Society for Regional Anaesthesia cadaver course in Redhill, Surrey
  • A potential secondment to Ystrad Mynach Hospital or Singleton Day surgery unit (Wales) to observe a block room model for awake foot and ankle surgery or hand surgery
  • Work is underway to establish a “block room” to facilitate turnover on orthopaedic lists in both SMH and RCH 
  • Departmental advice and support for a regional anaesthesia qualification (European diploma)
  • Towards the end of the SIA, you would be expected to teach and oversee junior trainees providing regional anaesthesia
  • Further teaching, QIP and presentation opportunities will be encouraged and help available to develop eg ED regional anaesthesia upskill
  • The chance of 10 days dedicated regional anaesthesia in Kenya with the Future Health Africa organisation (subject to application/interview)

 

*Pro Rata for LTFT trainees

Royal Cornwall Hospital is a supportive environment in which to undertake an SIA and Cornwall is a great place to live with lots of outdoor activities to take part in.  For further enquiries please contact college tutors Dr Nila Cota and Dr Katharine Sprigge

 

 

Regional Anaesthesia Specialist Interest Area Learning Outcomes

  • Provides a wide variety of regional anaesthetic techniques independently
  • Is capable of leading the delivery of care in this area of anaesthetic practice, to the benefit of both patients and the organisation

Key capabilities:

A: Can independently practice safely a wide range of regional techniques for all upper limb and shoulder surgery under block alone, including the management of continuous nerve catheters for post-operative analgesia

B: Can independently practice safely a wide range of regional techniques for lower limb surgery, including the management of continuous nerve catheters for post-operative analgesia

C: Can independently practice safely a wide range of regional techniques for chest and abdominal wall surgery

D: Ability to independently organise, lead and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of an operating list planned under regional anaesthesia alone

E: Supervises and advises colleagues on the suitability and delivery of regional anaesthesia in complex cases

F: Can evaluate the place of regional anaesthesia, and any developments, within the patient perioperative pathway and advise on potential changes in practice

 

Examples of evidence:

  • preoperative clinic based assessment of suitability and preparation for surgery of patients utilising regional anaesthesia
  • a wide range of cases and techniques for awake and asleep surgical procedures
  • understanding and implementing comprehensive consent for regional techniques
  • meticulous attention to wrong site block prevention based on national guidance
  • ability to manage awake, sedated and general anaesthetic patients with a regional anaesthetic component
  • ability to use ultrasound and needle techniques safely for a variety of procedures including nerve catheters
  • ability to provide safe and effective postoperative analgesia through a variety of regional techniques
  • management of regional anaesthesia lists

Personal activities and reflections may include:

  • national and international meetings related to regional anaesthesia
  • presentation at relevant meeting eg abstract or free paper
  • development of guidelines and policies
  • leadership of QI projects related to regional anaesthesia
  • leadership training

Supervision Goal

4

 

Satisfactory MSF & MTR

This page was last updated October 14th 2025 (7 months ago)