St Andrew's Day - Delivering the Best in Acute Care
Thursday 27 - Friday 28 November
Conferences & Symposia
Thu 27 - Fri 28 Nov
| 2 Day Event
Thu 08:55 - Fri 17:00
Hybrid
Activity code:
CPD credits applied for
Are you a Fellow or a Member? Sign in to get member prices
Overview
Join us in Edinburgh for the RCPE Acute Medicine Conference 2025, a two-day event designed for clinicians working across acute and general medicine. This dynamic programme delivers clinical updates spanning over 15 specialties and approaching 20 areas of acute care. With expert-led sessions, practical insights, and opportunities to engage with nationally and internationally recognised specialists. Delegates can attend in person or online, with flexible options for learning.
Description
The conference offers a practical, back-to-basics approach to inpatient and acute medical care, while highlighting the latest thinking in areas shaping the future of hospital medicine. Sessions will provide state-of-the-art updates on common conditions, specialist perspectives on complex presentations, and new approaches to patient safety, education, and innovation.
Across two days, you’ll gain:
- Clinical updates directly relevant to frontline practice.
- Specialist-led insights into managing challenging acute presentations.
- Keynotes from world-renowned experts in patient safety and cognitive bias in medicine.
- Parallel sessions exploring medical education, medicolegal challenges, metabolic medicine, and the role of artificial intelligence in acute care.
Designed for busy clinicians, this symposium ensures delegates leave with up-to-date CPD, new skills for everyday practice, and fresh perspectives on delivering safe, effective patient care.
"I was able to attend in person ... and it was wonderful to connect to so many wonderful colleagues. The talks were just the right length and the variety was fantastic. The human element and compassion of all the speakers was a highlight.."
Who is this course for?
Whether you’re an experienced consultant or early in your acute medicine career, this conference offers invaluable professional development and the opportunity to help shape the future of acute care.
- Medics of any grade
- Allied health professionals, including nursing and pharmacy colleagues
Attending the event
Join us in Edinburgh this November to experience the conference atmosphere first-hand. Enjoy networking with colleagues, exploring historic streets, and discovering the city’s festive charm as Christmas lights and markets appear. Our PDF guide includes recommended hotels, making it easy to plan a memorable and enriching visit.
Thursday 27 November 2025
| 08:30 | Registration |
|---|---|
| 08:55 | Welcome Professor Andrew Elder, President, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh |
Session 1 - Updates in common conditions
Wherever you work in acute care, you’ll encounter patients with heart failure, asthma and type 2 diabetes. This session brings you the latest evidence and practical guidance, ensuring you’re confident managing these common but complex conditions.
| 9:00 | Stabilising heart failure patients for safe discharge Dr Caroline Scally, Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh * initiation and optimization of key medications * blood pressure and heart rate parameters * who gets a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator? |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | Asthma Dr Sunny Jabbal, Consultant in Respiratory and General Medicine, Borders General Hospital * new biologics * making an inpatient diagnosis * safe discharge parameters |
| 10:00 | Type 2 diabetes * investigation and treatment targets for inpatients * new medical therapies |
| 10:30 | Break |
Session 2 - Ask the specialist
Managing acutely unwell patients with complex conditions can raise difficult questions in real time. This session offers the chance to put those questions directly to expert specialists in oncology, dermatology, and toxicology.
Chair:
| 11:00 | The acutely sick oncology patient Dr Ricky Frazer, Consultant in Medical Oncology, Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff * prognosis on immunotherapies * acute complications on immunotherapies * common pitfalls in acute management |
|---|---|
| 11:30 | The acutely sick patient with a blistering rash Dr Dominic Tabor, Consultant Dermatologist, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne * front door treatment of suspected Stevens Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) * working up the common causes * when and who to refer |
| 12:00 | The sedated toxic patient Professor Michael Eddleston, Professor of Clinical Toxicology, University of Edinburgh * safe assessment of the globally sedated patient * treatment strategies for mixed overdose * nitazenes and novel benzodiazepines |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
Keynote Lecture
Patient safety remains at the heart of all we do in acute care. In this keynote, we’ll explore how to create the right conditions for safe, sustainable practice, with forward-looking insights on the future of patient safety.
| 13:15 | Chair: President, RCPE Patient safety Professor Charles Vincent, Professor of Psychology, University of Oxford |
|---|---|
| 13:55 | College Awards Further information to follow |
Session 3 - Practical parallel sessions
This dynamic part of the programme lets you focus on your priorities - from practical approaches to teaching and shaping the future acute workforce, to seeing how artificial intelligence is already transforming diagnosis and documentation in acute medicine.
Chairs:
Session A: Dr Sarah Turpin, Consultant in Medicine for the Elderly, Borders General Hospital
Session B: Dr Emma Morrison, Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
| Session A: Education in clinical practice | Session B: Artificial Intelligence in acute medicine | |
|---|---|---|
| 14:10 | Enhancing educational opportunities and experiences for undergraduates on clinical placements Dr Debbie Aitken, Associate Professor of Medical Education, University of Oxford |
Frontline stroke management: Integrating medicine and radiology Professor Andrew Farrall, Honorary Professor of Neuroimaging & Education, Consultant Neuroradiologist, University of Edinburgh |
| 14:35 | Recognising opportunities for interprofessional education in clinical practice Dr Veronica O’Carroll, Senior Lecturer and Director of Postgraduate Teaching, School of Medicine, University of St. Andrews |
Live Demo: Transforming medical note taking with AI |
| 15:05 | The future of the acute medical workforce: updates in acute medical training Dr Claire Gordon, Consultant in Acute Medicine, Edinburgh |
Can AI help you care for patients? |
| 15:25 | Break | |
Session 4 - At the front door
The first presentation of symptoms often sets the course of care. This session focuses on the acute challenges doctors face when patients first arrive.
Chair: Dr Sarah Turpin, Consultant in Medicine for the Elderly, Borders General Hospital
| 15:50 | Headache presentations at the front door Dr Mireia Moragas-Garrido, Consultant Neurologist, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh *common headache syndromes * safely ruling out Subarachnoid hemorrhage * migraine treatment options |
|---|---|
| 16:15 | Newly presenting renal failure * how to make them safe * who to dialyse * how to do an initial workup |
| 16:40 | The patient with acute diarrhoea * differentiating infective from first presentation inflammatory bowel disease * when to start steroids * red flags |
| 17:05 | Close of day 1 |
Friday 28 November 2025
| 08:30 | Registration |
|---|---|
| 08:55 | Welcome |
Session 1 - Updates in common conditions
Day two opens with a focus on acute presentations you’re guaranteed to encounter across specialties.
Chair: Dr Will Rutherford, Consultant, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
| 09:00 | Acute stroke Dr Fergus Doubal, Consultant in Stroke Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh * updates in medical treatment and guidelines * radiological and surgical interventions * safe discharge planning for transient ischemic attacks |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | Anaphylaxis * updated acute management guidelines * basic initial investigations * further investigations |
| 10:00 | Atrial fibrillation: changes in risk stratification and when to refer for invasive management * risk stratification * principles of acute management * pharmacological strategies |
| 10:30 | Break |
Session 2 - Ask the specialist
Acute presentations linked to chronic conditions often raise complex clinical questions. This session is your chance to put those questions directly to experts in hepatology, endocrinology, and neurology.
Chair: Dr Lisa Nicol, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh
| 11:00 | Alcohol and liver disorders Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, Consultant Gastroenterologist & Director of SHAAP, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh * alcoholic hepatitis * decompensated cirrhosis * thromboembolic risk stratification |
|---|---|
| 11:30 | Unwell patients and their thyroid Dr Marie Freel, Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow * thyroid function tests interpretation in acutely unwell patients * management of hypothyroidism as an inpatient * initial stabilisation and investigations in thyrotoxicosis |
| 12:00 | Seizures Dr Kathryn Knight, Senior Neurology Registrar, NHS Lothian * who gets and MRI * safe discharge * updates in therapies |
| 12:30 |
Lunch RCPE AGM |
Keynote Lecture
| 13:25 | Chair: President, RCPE Recognising and reducing cognitive bias in medicine Professor Pat Croskerry, Director of the Critical Thinking Programme, Dalhousie University, Canada |
|---|
Session 3 - Practical parallel sessions
Tailor the programme to your interests by choosing between two focused streams. Whatever your choice, you’ll gain insights directly relevant to your practice.
Chairs:
Session C: Dr Sarah Turpin, Consultant in Medicine for the Elderly, Borders General Hospital
Session D: Dr Emma Morrison, Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
| Parallel Session C: Medicolegal | Parallel Session D: Metabolic syndrome in Acute Medicine | |
|---|---|---|
| 14:05 | Cautionary Tales: Recognising legal risk in everyday medicine Dr Simon Watkin, Chairman, Medical Defence Union |
Diabetic medications and the acutely sick patient Dr Laura Reid, Consultant in Diabetes & Endocrinology, NHS Lothian |
| 14:35 | Dealing with complaints Dr Helen Gillett, Consultant Gastroenterologist, St John's Hospital, Livingston |
Obesity hypoventilation in the acutely unwell patient Dr Renata Riha, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, NHS Lothian |
| 15:00 | When the worst happens: supporting clinicians through adverse events Caroline Elton, Psychologist, Academic and Writer |
Weight management Professor Donal O’Shea, Lead for Obesity services, St Vincent’s University Hospital and St Columcille’s Hospital, Dublin & University College Dublin |
| 15:25 | Break | |
Session 4 - Learning from others
This reflective session looks at the human side of acute care. From navigating difficult conversations about future care planning to hearing personal stories of patients who profoundly shaped clinical practice, these talks offer powerful insights.
Chair: Dr Emma Morrison, Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
| 15:50 | Future care planning in the acute setting |
|---|---|
| Case studies: patients that changed my practice | |
| 16:30 | Dr Lynn McCallum, Medical Director, NHS Borders |
| 16:40 | Professor Nicholas Bateman, Retired Professor & NHS Consultant, formerly of Scottish Poisons Information Bureau |
| 16:35 | Dr Nigel Stout, Consultant Geriatrician, Sunderland Royal Hospital |
| 17:00 | Closing remarks |
Not a Member of RCPE? By joining the College, you can save up to 100% on event fees for our symposia, courses and Evening Medical Update programme. Find out more about joining the College and our membership benefits via our membership webpages.
Become a member of the College today and save at least £155 on St Andrew's Day attendance fees.
Attendance options
RCPE are delighted to welcome delegates in-person, in the College, or to register for online only attendance.
All delegates will have catch-up access to all talks for 28 days following the live event.
| Registration fees for In-person, Online or Catch-up attendance | Fee for one day £ | Fee for two days £ |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Fee | £230 | £450 |
| RCPE Fellow, Collegiate & Associate Member | £160 | £295 |
| Allied Health Professionals | £110 | £210 |
| RCPE Retired Fellow and RCPE Foundation Member | £80 | £150 |
| RCPE Fellow in low or lower-middle income country - Online attendance only | £0 | £0 |
| RCPE Student member - Online attendance only | £0 | £0 |
|
RCPE Student member - In-person attendance *fee covers catering costs |
£40 | £75 |
Long term / other leave: Fellows and Members of RCPE, please contact the Symposium Co-ordinator as some discretion may be available.
Trainees: Scotland Deanery medical specialty trainees can attend any number of eligible symposia for a one-off payment from their study leave budget via the Block Grant Scheme (block grant scheme)
Fellows Vouchers: If you’d like to use your Fellows Voucher to attend this symposium please contact onlinebookings@rcpe.ac.uk.
Unpaid post: If an RCPE Member please provide confirmation of status to the event coordinator in order to access this event for free.
Refugee doctors: Free places are available to refugee doctors who are Associate Members of RCPE, please contact the event coordinator for more information. Associate Membership for refugee doctors is available free of charge, please visit our membership pages for more information on on how to join the College as a refugee doctor.
Invoices
If you wish your employer/organisation to be invoiced for this event, please contact the Event Coordinator. Payment via invoice is not available for online booking.
Cancellation policy
If you have to cancel your place within 14 days of this event, we regret that we are unable to provide a refund.
If you are no longer able to attend in-person, you can still view the event online. The event will be available to view on-demand for 28 days after the live event, therefore, there is still opportunity to view the talks if you are not able to attend on the day.
Booking Terms & Conditions
Booking Terms & Conditions: Please read the College’s full event booking Ts&Cs regarding event changes, CPD, and data protection in the event policies section on our Event FAQ pages.
Certificates
All relevant events are approved for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). To receive a CPD certificate delegates must have completed the online feedback survey. The survey will close 28 days after the original broadcast of the event on 26 December 2025, with certificates being issued shortly after this.
Certificates cannot be issued after the survey has closed.
Catch-up
Registered delegates can view this event on catch-up for up to 28 days following the live event until, i.e. until 26 December 2025. Please note that in line with Federation rules, the CPD period is 28 days from the live event. To obtain a CPD certificate you must have completed the online feedback survey by 26 December 2025,.
If you are unable to attend this event live but would like to view this event for 28 days post-event and qualify for a CPD certificate (if feedback is completed), please register before the live event is due to take place in order to be given access. It is not possible to register for catch-up viewing after the live event has taken place.
Joining us in the College
Delegate notice: This event is being recorded – film, audio, and photography – these recordings may be used in the College’s digital and printed publicity material or on our digital education platforms. If you do not wish to be recorded, please let a member of staff know.
Access: A wheelchair lift and internal lift are in place at the College, allowing access to the conference centre and historic rooms. However, as a listed building, there are some meeting rooms that have restricted access. For further information and assistance, please contact the event coordinator responsible for the event.
Prayer and Parent room: We provide a prayer room at all our hybrid/In-person events, and a member of staff will be able to direct you to this space on the day of the event. We can also provide a parent room at our events where required. If you are interested in this facility, please contact the event coordinator.
Commercial Sponsorship: Many events are supported by commercial companies taking exhibition space. Health professionals and NHS Managers are invited to visit the company stands during the breaks. Companies interested in sponsoring this, or other events listed on our event pages should contact the event coordinator.
Exhibitors/Sponsors play no part in the planning or delivery of our events, and the College has developed an Ethical Sponsorship Policy to support organising committees and committee chairs in their negotiations with potential commercial partners for education and other events.
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Event information
Conferences & Symposia
Thu 27 - Fri 28 Nov
| 2 Day Event
Thu 08:55 - Fri 17:00
Hybrid
Activity code:
CPD credits applied for
Are you a Fellow or a Member? Sign in to get member prices
Sign in to get member prices