Society for Acute Medicine

Society for Acute Medicine
Name	Society for Acute Medicine
Founded	1997
Type	Medical society
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom and International
Membership	Clinicians, nurses, allied health professionals

Society for Acute Medicine

The Society for Acute Medicine is a United Kingdom–based professional association for clinicians involved in acute medicine and acute care. It interfaces with bodies such as the National Health Service (United Kingdom), the Royal College of Physicians, and the British Medical Association to influence service delivery, clinical pathways and workforce planning. The society engages with agencies including National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Care Quality Commission, Health Education England and international partners like the World Health Organization and the European Society of Cardiology.

History

Founded in 1997 amid debates involving Department of Health and Social Care (United Kingdom), the society arose contemporaneously with policy developments such as the Calman Report and reconfigurations of hospital medicine led by the Royal College of Physicians of London. Early activity intersected with initiatives by Tune Review-era management and responses to reports from the Healthcare Commission and the National Audit Office (United Kingdom). Over successive decades the society responded to epidemics and crises that engaged institutions like Public Health England and the NHS Confederation, and adapted during periods shaped by events such as the 2012 London Olympics health planning and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mission and Objectives

The society’s stated mission aligns with objectives promoted by entities including the World Health Organization, Royal College of Nursing, and Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine. It seeks to advance patient pathways promoted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and to influence policy in forums such as the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee and the British Medical Journal readership. Key aims include improving standards referenced against benchmarks from the Care Quality Commission, supporting workforce development with partners like Health Education England and advocating alongside the British Medical Association and Royal College of Physicians.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises consultants, trainees, specialist registrars, nurses and allied health professionals with interests in acute medicine, many of whom hold appointments at institutions like Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Governance structures mirror models used by the Royal College of Physicians and include executive committees, subcommittees, and trustee boards similar to those of the British Medical Association and Association of Anaesthetists. Elections often coincide with meetings attended by delegations from regional exemplar centres such as Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Addenbrooke's Hospital.

Clinical Guidelines and Standards

The society develops guidance that complements recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Resuscitation Council (UK), and specialty bodies including the British Thoracic Society, British Geriatrics Society, and British Society for Haematology. Its position statements address interface pathways involving accident and emergency departments at trusts like St Thomas' Hospital and standards aligned with audit frameworks such as the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit and the National Hip Fracture Database. Collaborative guidance has been produced with organisations including the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.

Education and Training

Educational activity includes courses, competency frameworks and simulation training developed in concert with institutions such as Imperial College London, King's College London, and University of Edinburgh. Workshop programmes reference curricula from the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board and postgraduate training supervised by bodies like Health Education England and the General Medical Council. The society contributes to credentialing discussions alongside the Intercollegiate Board for Training in Emergency Medicine and supports trainee networks comparable to those managed by the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians.

Research and Publications

Research collaborations involve universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, and Queen Mary University of London, and link with registries such as the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and audits by the Royal College of Physicians' National Clinical Audit. The society disseminates evidence via position papers, white papers and conference proceedings, engaging journals like the BMJ, The Lancet, European Journal of Emergency Medicine, and specialty periodicals such as Acute Medicine and Clinical Medicine (Royal College of Physicians). Research themes intersect with trials registered through entities like the National Institute for Health Research and collaborations with groups such as the Medical Research Council.

Conferences and Events

Annual scientific meetings attract delegates from organisations including the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Nursing, Association of Anaesthetists, and international societies such as the American College of Emergency Physicians and European Society of Cardiology. Events often feature keynote speakers from universities like University of Glasgow and hospitals such as Manchester Royal Infirmary and are held in venues used by professional meetings like ExCeL London and university conference centres. Special interest groups and regional meetings mirror models used by the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Geriatrics Society.

Category:Medical associations based in the United Kingdom