On April 6 2022, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM; the College) notified the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne’s Emergency Department of the withdrawal of its accreditation as a training site for doctors enrolled in the FACEM (Fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine) Training Program, effective immediately.
This significant step followed a comprehensive College process, encompassing a period of more than two years, and incurring ultimate endorsement by ACEM’s Council of Education.
Since the withdrawal of accreditation, stakeholders from ACEM and the RCH have met to discuss this matter and the RCH have promptly submitted a new application for provisional reaccreditation. This application is currently being reviewed through ACEM’s training site accreditation processes.
ACEM is committed to working with the RCH ED leadership and health service executives to ensure education and training standards at the hospital are such that they provide appropriate training for FACEM trainees.
Trainees currently under contract with the RCH will not be disadvantaged by this decision. Trainees who have signed a contract to work at RCH in 2022, prior to this withdrawal of accreditation, will have their time honoured and counted towards their FACEM training, should they wish to complete their training at RCH.
ACEM emphasises the decision to withdraw accreditation did not relate to concerns over the quality of patient care that has been delivered to patients and families.
Rather, the decision to withdraw training accreditation occurred because of various concerns that included the inappropriate structure of the RCH education programs to cater for all registrars, and shortcomings in relation to learning opportunities.
ACEM’s accreditation process seeks to ensure that training sites provide trainees with the necessary support and resources to enable them to meet the requirements of the FACEM Training Program.
Background
ACEM is the peak body for emergency medicine in Australia and New Zealand, responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards. www.acem.org.au
