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Damage Control Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery (DCOTS)

An opportunity to practise using cadavers and learn about the strategies, tactics and skills developed in battlefield surgery that are applicable to the civilian surgeon in the management of the multiply injured patient.

This course is currently run on a regular basis by the Royal College of Surgeons (London). Course details including dates can be found on the Royal College of Surgeons (London) website.

Definitive Surgical Trauma Skills (DSTS)

This is a practical cadaveric workshop course for surgeons who are relatively inexperienced in trauma but may be required to perform life-preserving surgery on severely injured patients during the course of their duties.

This course is currently run on a regular basis through the Royal College of Surgeons (London). Course details including dates can be found on the Royal College of Surgeons (London) website.

ATLS Instructor Course

The ATLS Instructor course aims to maintain a cadre of instructors so that a thriving and active ATLS programme is maintained. Only those attendees of ATLS courses who were nominated as having Instructor Potential (IP) can apply for a place on this course.

The course is run on a regular basis through the Royal College of Surgeons (London). Course details including dates can be found on the Royal College of Surgeons (London) website.

ATLS Instructor information including information on recertification can be found on the RCS Education website.

European Trauma Course (ETC)

Within the South West this course is now run twice a year at the Major Trauma Centre at Southmead Hospital, Bristol and annually at the Major Trauma Centre at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

This is a course with only 1 didactic lecture and is then taught via 32 simulated scenarios.  It focuses on team membership and team leadership skills within a trauma team setting.  It is not exclusively for doctors and there are senior nurses and paramedics who attend. Please note it is a demanding course and you should be at ST4 level or above, a senior nurse or AHP and actively involved with trauma management on a relatively frequent basis.There is no final exam.

Visit the European Trauma Course website for more information.

Please email Course Co-ordinator Alison McDonald for further information.

PLANT Course

The PLymouth ANaesthesia Trauma (PLANT) course is a one day course focussing specifically on trauma care within Derriford Hospital and our current process but also incorporating the current Trauma 'best practice'.

It is open to Consultants and Trainees above ST3 level in Anaesthesia and Emergency Medicine as well as Perioperative Practitioners, (Theatre Nurses, ODPs, Recovery Nurses).

The course is currently aimed at clinicians within the MTC however as the course incorporates current Trauma 'Best Practice' it may be of interest to colleagues from around the Peninsula.

Aims and Objectives

• To provide current evidence based multi-disciplinary education in trauma anaesthesia to enable the provision of high quality anaesthesia to trauma patients within UHP.
• To develop and deliver a 'Derriford Trauma Anaesthesia Doctrine' supported and championed by UHP RTC and the Peninsula Trauma Network.
• To produce perioperative and anaesthetic providers familiar with equipment, wider trauma teams and trauma processes in order to provide excellent trauma care and outcomes.

Previous Course

Venue:                    Derriford Hospital, Plymouth

Principal contacts:  Dr S McAleer or Dr P Moor, Consultant Anaesthetists, Derriford Hospital. 

Email:                      samuel.mcaleer@nhs.net or p.moor@nhs.net