Clinical Excellence Awards

The College of Emergency Medicine is the national nominating body to the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (ACCEA) for Emergency Medicine in England. We have the same role, albeit with different procedures, for Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Defence Medical Services.

Clinical Excellence Awards 2012

The CEA system in England is currently under consideration by the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB), with a report expected in the autumn. The Department of Health submitted a paper to the DDRB asking them to consider whether the 2012 round should include applications for new awards (or for renewal applications only). ACCEA is keeping national nominating bodies informed of developments, and any updates will be posted on the College website.

ACCEA will announce the results of the 2011 round in the autumn at the same time as the Government’s response to the DDRB report is made available.

ACCEA is currently working on the basis that the 2012 round will proceed (decision expected in September) so that the 2012 round for national awards will open later than usual (further guidance to be issued in October) but at this stage the closing deadline remains as Friday 9 December 2011.

The College will update Fellows about the 2012 CEA process as and when further information is received from ACCEA.

Please note that this timescale is approximate and may be subject to change depending on the result of the DDRB review and ministerial decisions.

Fellows in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or those working for the Defence Medical Services should consult relevant authorities.

How do I apply for a national award?

Anyone eligible can nominate themselves for a national award but success is more likely if you have local support complemented by support from the College, deanery or other national nominating body.

The principal pathway for applicants is via self-nomination, and applicants must follow the
current guidance published on the ACCEA websites:

• www.dh.gov.uk/ab/ACCEA/index.htm
• www.wales.gsi.gov.uk/accea
• www.sacda.scot.nhs.uk
• www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/hss/clinical_excellence_awards_scheme.htm

Am I eligible?
Normally you need to have at least a local level 4 award (or 4 DPs) to have a chance of securing a national level 9 award.

If you have an award and are applying for a renewal or a higher level you need to be clear in your application about your achievements since the previous award.

Generally, at the national award level, at least four years should have elapsed since the
last award in order to be able to demonstrate significant additional accomplishments.

How can I increase my chances of being successful?

At the Council meeting of the College of Emergency Medicine in April 2011 Professor Jonathan Montgomery and Dr David Lindsell from ACCEA attended to discuss the issue of the recent poor success rate by EM applicants. ACCEA acknowledged the concerns of CEM. Professor Jonathan Montgomery and Dr David Lindsell gave the following advice:-

1) The scheme should be seen as a career incentive

2) The current version of the scheme is unlikely to survive in its present form although a national award of some form is likely to continue

3) A review of last year’s CEM sponsored EM applicants had not identified any specific or generic issues that might indicate a prejudicial approach by ACCEA to these applicants.

The College has provided some advice below to inform Fellows of and support initiatives that address each of the key stages of a successful application. This is of particular relevance to England but the principles apply across the UK.

1. Local support - It is essential that for an application to succeed the applicant must obtain a very high level of local support.

a) Without a resounding endorsement of the employing Trust’s Chief Executive it is unlikely that the application will progress successfully.

b) This is not simply a matter of the number of local points held, though it is generally considered that fewer than 5 would seem to indicate insufficient local support.

2. ACCEA Regional Sub-committees - These scrutinise all applications on a geographical basis; their members are appointed by the SHA. To progress further, applications need to be ranked highly by the regional sub-committee.

a)  It is important therefore that where possible applicants should be able to demonstrate endeavours relevant to or widely understood by non-EM regional Board members. 

b) The CEM is concerned that too few EM consultants sit on these panels and would urge Fellows of the College to make application for such a position whenever such an opportunity arises.

3. ACCEA National Committee - The national committee issues detailed advice on how to complete the ACCEA forms. The forms are similar to those used for local awards (Level 1-9) but allow the applicant to add extra information relevant to one or more domains.

a) The national committee is minded to review applications that cite outcomes and qualitative indicators more highly than applications focusing on “activity” alone.

b) The advice that outcomes and quality are particularly important is timely with the introduction of the DH Quality Indicators. These measures are agreed indicators of quality and all Trusts are required to collate data sufficient to inform commissioners and the DH of progress. This is therefore an opportunity to be able to demonstrate important improvement in quality indicators.

c)  If you have an award and are applying for a renewal or a higher level you need to be clear in your application about your achievements since the previous award. Generally, at the national award level, at least four years should have elapsed since the last award in order to be able to demonstrate significant additional accomplishments.

4. College Sponsorship –

a) Any eligible EM Consultant can self-nominate to the College. The College, as a national nominating body, must submit a citation for any member that makes such a request. The College procedures for considering nominations follow ACCEA guidelines and we have established a group for this purpose. We also receive comments from chairs of regional/national boards.

b) The College is not normally involved in employer-based awards or renewals of national clinical excellence awards.

c)  Each applicant must download the CVQ form and submit the completed form to the College by Monday 31st October 2011 in order that the College group can assess and prioritise the applications, write citations and submit to ACCEA by the above deadline.

 

Further advice

This advice does not address the issue of local awards; advice on these should be sought from the Medical Director of your Trust. It should be noted that currently a level 9 local award is to all intents and purposes from the perspective of the recipient, identical to a National Bronze Award. It is entirely possible that many consultants will therefore be able to achieve the equivalent of a National Award without making an application via the National ACCEA system.

Regional sub-committees are more likely to consider those elements of an application that demonstrate worthwhile outcomes external to an individual Trust. EM Consultants are well placed to succeed in demonstrating regional activities including (but not limited to):

• Deanery roles e.g. DME, H of S , TPD, Foundation Year Lead
• Clinical care delivery systems e.g. initiation, participation in, development of regional trauma systems, acute stroke care, PCI systems, re-configuration of urgent/ emergency/ OOH care
• Regional and inter-disciplinary training e.g. ultrasound, simulation, advanced airway, procedural sedation

National awards do not require applicants to be undertaking a “national-role”. They are awarded after applications have been ranked and it is important to appreciate that there is no specialty applicable quota. Essentially applicants whilst assessed on their merits are subject to a competitive process by virtue of the ranking process. No specific role entitles the applicant to a national award. The individual will be judged on the demonstrable outcomes arising from these roles.

The list of all award holders is published on-line and is accessible to anyone via the ACCEA web-site. Appendix A is an edited version of this information as currently published.

(Download Appendix A)

In addition, all award applicants are required to permit their personal statement to be published on-line if their application is successful. Again these can be viewed via the ACCEA website and are an indication of the themes and achievements that have been recognized via the ACCEA process. Examples of personal statements contributing to Bronze awards are given in Appendix B.

(Download Appendix B)

Don't hesitate to contact the office if you have any questions about the process (cem@collemergencymed.ac.uk or 020 7067 1261)

Completion of the relevant forms

• Start completing your CVQ sooner than later
• Submit using only the 2012 CVQ forms
• Explain unfamiliar acronyms or abbreviations
• Clarify your contribution to the achievement described (especially important in a team-based specialty)
• Put time frames (dates) for achievements
• Wherever possible describe outcomes/results from the initiative (scoring is weighted to achievement, not just activity)
• Get someone else to read/spell check your CVQ
• Use Form D (research) or Form E (teaching and training) especially if you are applying for a level 11 or 12 award.

Good luck!

Clifford Mann (Registrar) & Ed Glucksman (Senior Fellow)

August 2011