Anaesthesia on Air

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air Dr Sekina Bakare hosts a roundtable discussion with Dr Desire Onwochei, Dr Sethina Watson and Dr Daniel Olaiya on the work being done to grow the numbers of Black Anaesthetists, experiences within practice and ongoing challenges. They discuss promoting equity within anaesthetics, managing microaggressions, and anti-racist best practices following the 'To Grow and Thrive' session at February Updates 2024. This podcast contains discussion of personal and wider experiences of racism.

In Episode 5 of the Heritage & Archives Series Sarah Ramsay talks to Simon Chadwick about how our perception of observation has changed over several generations of anaesthetists and how a trip to an art gallery can enhance our skills. The episode is chaired by Dr Maria Rollin, Chair of the Heritage and Archives Committee and has been recorded to complement an article Dr Chadwick has written for the Spring 2024 Bulletin.

In this Episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Steffan Glaze, Dinwoodie Simulation Fellow at the Royal College of Anaesthetists, hosts a discussion about the new Standards for Simulation-based Practice from the Association of Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) with two of the authors, Professor Cristina Diaz-Navarro and Professor Makani Purva, alongside Professor Mary Mushambi, University Lead for Simulation at the University of Leicester. They share the creation process and aims of the new standards, changes from the previous iteration and potential applications within both practice and teaching.

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air Dr Anton Krige, RCoA Clinical Lead for ME/CFS, talks with Dr Charles Shepherd from the ME Association and Helen Baxter, a patient advocate for ME patients, about the College's latest patient information project ME/CFS and anaesthesia. They explore this poorly understood medical condition and the strategies that anaesthetists will find useful in managing these patients in the perioperative period.

RCoA Councilmember Dr Ramai Santhirapala meets Drs Kate Stannard and Helen Burdett to discuss the Women in Medicine International Network (WIMIN). WIMIN was founded to address, as they put it, the 'huge gap in the needs of women in medicine' with a conference programme and network. Helen and Kate talk about the issues they are trying to tackle, the conference programme they've created, speakers at their upcoming September 2024 event, and how they try to inspire inclusion through this work. This podcast is released on International Women's Day 2024, the theme of which is #InspireInclusion. Links: 2024 International Women's Day: 'Inspire inclusion'WIMIN September 2024 conference [Recorded 1 March 2024]

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air Jenny Westaway, Chair of Patient Voices at RCoA, hosts a fascinating discussion with Dr Jane Boissiere, Dr Samantha Black, and Dr Paul Slater about Hypnotherapy in Anaesthesia. They discuss misunderstanding and misinformation around Clinical Hypnosis and the benefits of its use to help patient anxiety.

In Part 2 of the podcast Peter and Jag talk about the emerging threats from Iraq and Afghanistan which demanded a completely different approach and considerable clinical agility and innovation. Peter was the first UK Defence Professor of Anaesthesia and Critical Care (2008-16) and the conversation turns to the support he received from the RCoA, the Association of Anaesthetists and the Deaneries. Because of the nature of warfare the experience of the anaesthetists involved recorded here may sometimes be disturbing. The episode is chaired by Dr Anna Maria Rollin, Chair of the RCoA Heritage & Archives Committee

In this episode retired Colonel Soundararajan ‘Jag’ Jagdish talks to Professor Peter Mahoney about the early development of military anaesthesia, their lived experiences as deployed military personnel and what went on behind the scenes. The episode is chaired by Dr Anna Maria Rollin, Chair of the RCoA Heritage and Archives Committee

In this final part of our Global Anaesthesia podcast miniseries, Jan and Fi have the privilege to speak with Dr Michelle White who is a long-term volunteer for Mercy Ships. Michelle talks about her experience working in capacity Building on the ship and the delivery of surgical services in surgical care.

In this bitesized stocking-filler episode to end the year we interview Dr Allan Cyna, UK-trained and Australia-based specialist in paediatric anaesthesia and hypnocommunication. This interview was hosted by Duncan McMillan, RCoA Head of Content, at the May 2023 Anaesthesia annual conference in Birmingham, UK, and is a companion episode to our forthcoming roundtable discussion on hypnotherapy and the nocebo effect, which will be released in January. We hope our conversation with Allan whets your appetite for a deep dive into hypno communication in early 2024. In the meantime, have a restful holiday and a very happy new year from everyone at Anaesthesia on Air.

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Mike Grocott hosts a fascinating discussion with Prof Thomas Smith, recently awarded the RCoA Macintosh Professorship, given 'in recognition of outstanding contributions to the wider field of anaesthesia in a senior academic or clinician' for his work in aerospace medicine.

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Deidre Conway hosts a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation with Drs Nancy Redfern and Eoin Dore about wellbeing in the anaesthetic workplace and the particular dynamic between trainees and trainers. Amongst many other things Nancy, Eoin, and Deirdre discuss generational differences in work values, communication and honesty, self-care, and building a great environment for learning, drawing on their own experiences and the latest research and practices.

In this third part of out Global Anaesthesia podcast miniseries, Jan and Fi talk to Dr Emma Coley and Dr Anna Janowicz about their experiences in Zambia and Ethiopia on the Global Anaesthesia Development Programme (GADP), and its Zambian offshoot, ZADP. From applying low resource-setting solutions back in the UK and appreciating the dedication of local clinical teams to the world's largest fruit bat migration, Emma and Anna bring some rich insights from their experiences in global anaesthesia to the conversation.

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Ashwini Keshkamat talks with Dr Sarah Thornton and Dr Roger Sharpe to discuss SAS doctors in Educational roles. They speak through common themes, quality improvement, and advice and highlights for SAS members. SAS doctors are an integral part of the College. We benefit from the representation of SAS doctors on Council – our elected SAS members are Dr Sunil Kumar and Dr Ashwini Keshkamat. We also have a dedicated SAS Committee that works across the College and with Council to promote all matters relating to doctors working in SAS roles, including education, training, professional development and wellbeing. SAS Week is a week-long celebration of Staff Grade, Associate Specialist and Specialty (SAS) doctors which runs from 9-13 October. More than 1 in 5 of the non-trainee anaesthetic workforce are SAS doctors who play an essential role in the provision of anaesthetic services to patients. Links and resources: SAS Week 2023 | The Royal College of Anaesthetists (rcoa.ac.uk)SAS and Specialty Doctors | The Royal College of Anaesthetists (rcoa.ac.uk)

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Jan Man Wong and Dr Fiona Linton talk to Dr Sanjay Deshpande and Dr Anna Wilkinson about their experiences at the BKL Walawalker Hospital in Dervan, India. They cover everything from handling scorpion bites and improving sharps disposal practices, to some of the bittersweet professional connections they made with hospital staff. Sanjay and Anna describe how the BKL Walawalker partnership began, and give advice for trainees coming to Dervan and similar locations. Global Anaesthesia, Surgery, and Obstetric Collaboration (GASOC) was established in 2015 to signpost trainees to information and resources to further their knowledge, engagement, and experience in this field. The global anaesthesia podcast miniseries features past and current trainees working or volunteering in resource-poor environments including India, Zambia, Uganda, and Ethiopia, plus their in-country and remote educational supervisors (RES), each bringing their own perspectives. For trainees, an international placement can form the SIA (Special Interest Area) part of their training. Contact details: global@rcoa.ac.uk gasocanaesthesia@gmail.com @gasoc_2015 Links: BKL Walawalkar websiteRCoA - Global PartnershipsGASOC website

On this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Joyce Yeung talks with three experts in the field, Dr Michael Gillies, Dr Rhona Sinclair, and Dr Alixe Kilgour on the Blood transfusion during hip fracture – insights from research (RESULT-Hip Trial), investigating the impact of REStrictive versUs LIberaL Transfusion strategy on cardiac injury and death in patients undergoing surgery. They discuss the improvements they have seen, challenges encountered doing this kind of research, and what the findings so far could mean for clinical practice.

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Jan Man Wong and Dr Fiona Linton talk with Dr Tamryn Miller and Dr Katherine Horner about their experiences as part of the Mercy Ships Programme. Tamryn and Katherine talk through their top tips, patient stories they encountered, and how it changed their practice. Global Anaesthesia, Surgery, and Obstetric Collaboration (GASOC) was established in 2015 to signpost trainees to information and resources to further their knowledge, engagement, and experience in this field. You can contact the Global Partnerships team at the college on: global@rcoa.ac.uk The global anaesthesia podcast miniseries features past and current trainees working or volunteering in resource-poor environments including India, Zambia, Uganda, and Ethiopia, plus their in-country and remote educational supervisors (RES), each bringing their own perspectives. For trainees, an international placement can form the SIA (Special Interest Area) part of their training.

For the season finale of the NovPod, we are honoured to have Dr Fiona Donald, President of the RCoA, as our special guest. We discuss what life is like after the novice period and throughout the career of an anaesthetic trainee, as well as some of the challenges facing anaesthetists at the moment. References/links: Training linkResources-publications/Guidebooks/Trainee-Handbook 2021 ** Tell us how we can improve the NovPod! Complete our 5-minute survey.**

Wellbeing is an extremely important aspect of a career in anaesthesia, and we are lucky to have as our special guest Dr Ramai Santhirapala - RCoA Council Member and wellbeing lead - to talk through the challenging aspects of the novice period, anaesthetics as a career and ways to help maintain your wellbeing throughout this time. References/links: Novice-Guide/ Wellbeing-supportMembership/Resources/Wellbeing-hubHome/Wellbeing-supportYoutube VideoDr Michael Farquhar - Fifteen-minute ConsultationWell-being paper by Dr Sinkey, Dr Margolis and Dr VinsonFatigue Paper ** Tell us how we can improve the NovPod! Complete our 5-minute survey.**

The initial assessment of competencies (IAC) is an important milestone for all anaesthetists, and in this episode, we are joined by special guest Dr Joe Lipton who explains what the IAC actually is and what the curriculum means for you as a novice trainee. References/links: Novice Guide/ Lifelong learning platformAssociation of anaesthetists ** Tell us how we can improve the NovPod! Complete our 5-minute survey.**