Stage 3 SIA (Advanced) Acute Inpatient Pain Training

What is Stage 3 Special Interest Area (SIA) in Acute Inpatient Pain Medicine Training?

Stage 3 SIA in Acute Inpatient Pain Medicine Training is delivered over an indicative 6 month period in designated multi-disciplinary specialist centres where trainees are expected to undertake a wide variety of training in pain management spanning the full range of pain medicine treatment options and plans. It is a requirement for trainees wishing to work in an inpatient pain service. Trainees should acquire a comprehensive knowledge of inpatient pain service delivery and an understanding of wider Pain Medicine services.

Where does it happen?

This period of training should take place primarily within an inpatient pain service/Pain Medicine environment in an acute hospital setting.  It is considered unlikely that trainees who spend time outside of the pain training environment engaged in general anaesthetic duties will be able to successfully obtain all of the competencies required to complete Stage 3 Acute Inpatient PainTraining. Therefore, the expectation is that trainees will need to spend substantially the whole of their daytime working hours engaged in acute inpatient pain and Pain Medicine-related duties. This of course would not prevent pain trainees being used on occasion to provide general anaesthetic cover for unforeseen emergency cases.

What will I learn?

Training is aimed at assessing a wide variety of inpatients with pain and becoming technically proficient in procedures used in the management of pain in an inpatient setting. There will also be training in Pain Medicine to develop the skills and knowledge for the management of acute on chronic pain.  

Stage 3 SIA Acute Inpatient Pain Training is considered essential for those aiming for a consultant appointment with sessions in Acute Inpatient Pain. The Faculty of Pain Medicine recommend that those who are appointed as Lead for Acute Inpatient Pain Services should have completed  the SIA in Pain Medicine.

Preparing for the milestones of the SIA in Acute Inpatient Pain

Contact your Training Programme Director (TPD) or Regional Advisor in Pain Medicine (RAPM) and to discuss the pain training opportunities and availability of SIA placements in your region.

Register as early as you can with the Faculty of Pain Medicine, as this will ensure you are on a training updates mailing list and connected into training activities. 

Ensure you have familiarised yourself with the Stage 3 SIA in Acute Inpatient Pain training curriculum which sits within the CCT in Anaesthetics. Trainees are required to maintain a pain logbook; an example of which may be found on the FPM website with links to download all the necessary software. For further information, please visit the logbook section of our assessments page

It is also advisable to contact your Faculty Tutor (Pain) prior to starting as this will enable you to have a better knowledge of what resources are available to you and start to timetable these into your year to hit the ground running.

  • Register with the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
  • Familiarise yourself with the curriculum requirements.
  • Set up and familiarise yourself with the faculty of pain logbook.
  • Make contact with your new Pain Department.

During the departmental induction ensure you familiarise yourself with the location of outpatient clinics, examination rooms, theatres and associated departments (palliative care, paediatrics, etc.)

It is also useful to meet the pertinent professionals in allied departments, for example physiotherapy, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, pain nurses, and secretarial staff.

Meet with the College Tutor and the Faculty Tutor (Pain). Check that on call arrangements will allow you to gain maximum pain exposure. The Faculty advise that emergency anaesthetic work should not take place during normal working hours with the exception of unforeseen emergency situations.

Please see the assessments page for details of the assessments you need to complete in order to be signed off at the end of your Stage 3 SIA Pain Training. Arrange an initial meeting with your Faculty Tutor to agree a PDP. 

Complete the Quarterly Assessment Review form prior to this meeting. You will also need 1 x CBD, 1 A-CEX, and 1 x DOPs assessment completed as a minimum. These can be recorded on the LLp or as paper versions which can be downloaded from the assessments page. Your logbook will be used to sign off your completion of Stage 3 SIA in Acute Inpatient Pain Training.

By the end of your first 6 months of Stage 3 SIA Acute Inpatient Pain Training you should have completed: 

  • 2 x A-CEX, 2 x CBD, 3 x DOP, 1x A-QIPAT
  • 1 x MSF
  • 2 x Quarterly reviews – with a completed and up to date logbook.

Completion of a HALO requires the following evidence:

  • supervised learning events (ACEX, ALMAT, A-QIPAT, CBD, DOPS) to suggest level of supervision
  • personal activities
  • personal reflections
  • multiple trainer report(s) that include Pain.

Now you've completed your training, you need to consider the type of department you would like to work in as a Consultant in the future. The FPM website has some guidance on Preparing for a Consultant Post, which you may find useful.

If you're not at the end of your training, you will need to think about how to maintain your Pain skills during the final part of your Anaesthetic training. The FPM has produced some guidance on this in the training FAQs section and advises that you should try to maintain at least one session in Pain Medicine per week. You should discuss this with your RAPM and TPD early to avoid rota and administrative issues.

Inpatient Pain Medicine consultants without the exam may still join the Faculty as Affiliate Fellows. This route come with membership benefits that are worth investigating and will keep you connected into the wider Pain Medicine community. Please visit our Membership page for further information

SIA Pain Trainee Study Days

Study days are organised by the Education Steering Group of the London Pain Training Advisory Group (LPTAG). They are open to ALL Stage 3 SIA Pain Trainees and there is no need to book in advance. If you would like any more information, please contact the LPTAG Trainee rep Dr Eleanor Hyde or Dr Sandesha Kothari at sandeshakothari@hotmail.com

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