‘The single most common recurring theme resulting from avoidable morbidity and mortality from sedation is the lack of formal training for the appropriate administration of sedative drugs and prompt recognition and treatment of sedation-related complications.’

Safe Sedation Practice for Healthcare Procedures. Standards and Guidance.
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. October 2013.
Endorsed by, Safe sedation practice for healthcare procedures. An update. Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. February 2021.

 
 

'Has provided me with the knowledge & confidence to challenge bad practice'

'Will help me to improve standards of safe sedation practice in my own Trust where previously my voice may not have been heard'

Comments from previous courses

 
 

Early bird offer: Doctors register up to 6 weeks before the course date to qualify for a £50 discount

 
 

'Very empowering; facilitates confidence in providing safe conscious sedation'

'Very good. I’d like our consultants to attend'

Comments from previous courses

 
 

'Really excellent course - learnt more than I thought I would'

'Very interesting and eye-opening'

Comments from previous courses

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The NSS course has three stages and is described in more detail in the e-learning:

1

Mandatory pre-course e-learning (about 6 hours work). This has to completed before attendance at Stage II of the course
2

Attendance at a small group face-to-face teaching day, concluding with a MCQ quiz
3

Acquisition and assessment of airway management competencies supervised by local NSS mentor who is an anaesthetist

Successful completion of all three stages of the NSS course leads to certification of completion of the NSS course (‘NSS certification’).

FUTURE COURSES

The National Safe Sedation (NSS) course was established in response to the publication of
‘Safe Sedation Practice for Healthcare Procedures. Standards and Guidance.’
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. October 2013

Subsequently endorsed by, ‘Safe sedation practice for healthcare procedures. An update.’
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. February 2021.

The Executive Summary of this publication highlighted that:

  • research and audit have identified continued avoidable morbidity and mortality from sedation
  • the single most common recurring theme resulting from avoidable morbidity and mortality from sedation is the lack of formal training for the appropriate administration of sedative drugs and prompt recognition and treatment of sedation-related complications
  • the safety of sedation practice can only be improved through the insistence of formal accredited competency-based training for all healthcare workers using sedation
  • it is the responsibility of all disciplines using sedation techniques to ensure that their trainees receive accredited training in sedation to a clearly defined national standard
  • those continuing to be actively involved in administering sedation must be able to demonstrate continued competency through maintenance of an appropriate level of experience, and ongoing participation in relevant life-long learning/CPD programmes, now necessary for revalidation

The NSS course was set up with the support of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA).
The development of this website and the e-learning have been made possible by the generous support of Sir Simon Robey.
The NSS course is non-profit-making and is now managed independently of the RCoA. The RCoA continue to approve Stage 2 of the course for CPD (Stages 1 and 3 of the course are eligible for self‑directed learning).
The NSS course is open to all healthcare professionals whose work involves the provision of conscious sedation.

Comments from previous courses

“Has provided me with the knowledge & confidence to challenge bad practice”

“Really excellent course - learned more than I thought I would”

“Will help me to improve standards of safe sedation practice in my own Trust where previously my voice may not have been heard”

“Very good. It was pitched at the right level and covered the most important areas”

“Comprehensive and well-targeted”

“Thorough and meticulous; excellent for consolidating existing competencies”

“Very informative. Made me more mindful about every step when sedating”

“Very informative. Every detail discussed. All are relevant. I feel confident now with conscious sedation”

“Very thorough & useful guide with lots of learning points”

“Overall excellent course. Opened up a lot of thoughts about our own practice & things that we could change”

“Excellent content, detail and delivery”

“An excellent course as a whole. Thank you”

“Very empowering; facilitates confidence in providing safe conscious sedation”

“Excellent team. Very engaging. Timely reminder that we’re here to keep patients safe”

“An eye-opener. I genuinely believe I can practice safer now”

“Very good. I’d like our consultants to attend”

“Very useful and highly recommended”

“Well presented and very informative”

“The course is very informative and useful in our department”

“Overall I thought the course was excellent”

“Very interesting and eye-opening”

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Previous Courses

1

University Hospital Lewisham, London, 5th April 2024

2

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, 1st February 2024

3

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, 16th November 2023

4

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, 7th November 2023

5

St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, 5th October 2023

6

Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, 19th September 2023

7

Royal Marsden Hospital, London, 30th August 2023

8

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, 27th July 2023

9

Cleveland Clinic London, London, 22nd July 2023

10

West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 28th June 2023

11

Warrington Hospital, Warrington, 24th April 2023

12

Future Dreams House, London, 14th April 2023

13

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, 16th March 2023

14

Cleveland Clinic, London, 21st January 2023

15

Future Dreams House, London, 1st December 2022

16

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, 23rd November 2022

17

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, 22nd November 2022

18

St James's University Hospital, Leeds, 17th November 2022

19

Future Dreams House, London, 8th September 2022

20

Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital, Belfast, 2nd September 2022

21

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, 1st September 2022

22

Royal College of Anaesthetists, 1st July 2022

23

Shropshire & Mid Wales Fertility Centre, 25th May 2022

24

Halton Hospital, 26th April 2022

25

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, 25th April 2022

26

Warrington, 25th April 2022

27

Cleveland Clinic London, 11th February 2022

28

Cleveland Clinic London, 22nd January 2022

29

Cleveland Clinic London, 21st January 2022

30

Cleveland Clinic London, 15th January 2022

31

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust Salford,12th January 2022

32

Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, 17th August 2021

33

Dorset County Hospital, Dorset, 17th May 2021

34

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, 19th July 2022

35

St. George's Hospital, London, 26th October 2020

36

West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, 29th November 2023

37

Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, 9th October 2020

38

Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, 5th June 2020 (postponed due to COVID-19)

39

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, 29th April 2020 (postponed due to COVID-19)

40

Teaching the teachers - NSS course, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, 22nd June 2018

41

Royal Free Medical School, London, 20th January 2020

42

Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, 6th December 2019

43

North Bristol Trust, Southmead,14th February 2019

44

Pilot course Part II, RCoA, London, 5th May 2017

45

Pilot course Part I, RCoA, London,18th November 2016