Summary
This bespoke two-day certificate is designed to equip healthcare practitioners with a structured and standardised approach to the reception and management of major trauma.
Combining concise theoretical teaching with dynamic, hands-on practical workshops, the course is delivered by an experienced faculty of trauma and emergency medicine experts. Participants will engage in focused small-group sessions and high-fidelity simulations that replicate real-life trauma scenarios.
Each workshop is followed by realistic, immersive simulation exercises to consolidate learning, reinforce clinical decision-making, and provide participants with constructive expert feedback. The course places strong emphasis not only on technical skills but also on critical non-technical competencies such as communication, teamwork, and leadership in high-pressure environments. It is especially relevant for those working in emergency medicine, surgery, anaesthetics, intensive care, or any field where early trauma management is part of routine clinical care.
Day 1 – 23 October 2025
Day 1 focuses on developing foundational trauma management skills. The first workshop explores major haemorrhage, beginning with the theory behind locating and controlling bleeding, and the application of massive transfusion protocols. This is followed by practical training in tourniquet application, pelvic binder use, and haemostatic dressings and suturing techniques. The second workshop centres on major thoracic trauma, with participants learning to identify life-threatening chest injuries and performing essential interventions such as pleural decompression, chest drain insertion and troubleshooting, and managing cardiac tamponade. Both workshops are followed by high-fidelity simulation scenarios that allow participants to apply these skills in a realistic and controlled environment.
Day 2 – 1 November 2025
Day 2 shifts toward advanced trauma interventions and team-based performance. The day begins with a focused lecture on trauma teams and human factors, covering team dynamics, communication, leadership, and decision-making under pressure. This is followed by a series of hands-on workshops. The first addresses airway assessment and management of the difficult airway, with practical stations including basic manoeuvres, RSI checklist use, and advanced techniques such as surgical cricothyroidotomy. The second workshop examines traumatic brain injury (TBI), incorporating both theoretical understanding and practical application such as disability assessment, neuroprotective RSI, secondary prevention, and rescue strategies including the use of hypertonic saline and tranexamic acid (TXA). The final session of the day covers spinal trauma, where participants will learn to recognise and manage spinal cord injuries, differentiate between neurogenic and spinal shock, conduct ASIA assessments, and manage the deteriorating spine-injured patient. As with day 1, each workshop is followed by realistic simulation exercises to reinforce clinical learning and decision-making in high-stakes trauma scenarios.
Suitable for: SHOs, registrars, specialist registrars (SpRs).