Tell us about yourself and your background? My name is Edward Oforka and I was born in Nigeria. When it comes to identity, Nigerian, Black and Christian are how I strongly identify. I am one of six children born to working class parents and was one of the first in my family to go to […]
Guest Blog
World Mental Health Day and Emergency Medicine
October 10th is World Mental Health Day Have you ever wondered if we sometimes make things worse for patient with mental health problems coming to the ED? Stigma in the general hospital setting is reported by patients to result in devaluation, social control, avoidance, rejection and failure to act. Perry et al. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32388323/ Careless talk […]
Developing an LGBTQ+ network at St Georges Emergency Department
It all started about 5 years ago when I decided to send an email to the department just before Pride about LGBTQ+ awareness. I remember feeling apprehensive about sending the email. Even though I was openly out to colleagues at work, this was the first time that I put myself out there as someone trying […]
Emergency Medicine Day 2021
Emergency Medicine Day is a global celebration of Emergency Medicine organised by EUSEM. This year is the fourth since its inception in 2018. It is an opportunity to bring together all those who work in Emergency Medicine and bring in policy and decision makers as well as the public to recognise Emergency Medicine and raise awareness. […]
Earth Day 2021: RCEM and the environment
Around the world people will be marking Earth Day on the 22 April and we thought it would be a good time to update you on what RCEM’s Environmental Specialist Interest Group (ESIG) has been doing. Earth Day is a good time to reflect on climate and environmental emergency we are facing and hopefully will […]
Why I am proud to lead the fight for gender equity in Emergency Medicine
Nine years ago, I was told by a senior male consultant colleague that I could not be a good clinician, an academic and a mum. At the time, I was halfway through a PhD and I was a parent to three girls. I wondered if the same comment would ever have been made to a […]
“CLANGERS OF WELLBEING” DURING COVID TIMES
Lockdowns, social distancing and vaccinations have only just begun to curb this pandemic. This past year, wellbeing for many has suffered or fallen by the wayside. This is when we need nature’s 7 doctors to help and support our wellbeing which are: 1. Sunshine 2. Exercise 3. Air 4. Water 5. Rest 6. Diet 7. Laughter […]
What do RCEM committees do? Introducing the RCEM PHEM Professional Advisory Group
RCEM as an organisation has a challenging job making sure that we keep up with the breadth of activity within our speciality, so that our function as a College can be fulfilled. We have some 52 committees, all of which undertake valuable work. This service is undertaken by professional and lay members, unpaid and often […]
Resilience and EM: Does resilience arise from adversity?
Recently I climbed Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales. This was my first ever climb to the summit which is 1085 metres high. I had no clue of the tough terrain when I geared up in excitement. It was an absolute adventure for a novice like me scaling on the steep rugged Pyg […]
Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), a guest blog from Dr Cliff Mann, National Clinical Advisor, NHS E/I
For some years now clinical teams in the UK have been changing the paradigm of acute illness management. When I was a young doctor all patients with a ‘serious’ illness would be admitted to hospital. A typical take in medicine, paediatrics and O&G would include pneumonia, ?SAH, febrile convulsion, D&V, and early pregnancy bleeding. Nowadays, […]