Update for the General Anaesthetist 2026
Taking place, live and online on Tuesday 8, Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 September 2026
- Designed and organised for all Consultants, SAS doctors and senior trainees in the general anaesthetic department
- Format: Broadcasting live online with short theory lectures followed by interactive Q&A and discussion
- Enjoy 90 days of on-demand access with your booking—watch anytime, don’t miss a thing.
- Accreditation sought from the Royal College of Anaesthetists for 18 CPD credits
Tuesday 8 September 2026
09.45 – 10.00
Introduction and Welcome
Mr Jack Hodson
IT Manager, Infomed Ltd
10.00 – 10.50
Orthopaedic Anaesthesia update
Dr Simeon West
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College Hospital, London
- Anaesthesia for joint replacements
- Anaesthesia for hip fractures
- Regional anaesthesia
- Pain management
10.50 – 11.40
Obstetrics Update
Dr Sarah Armstrong
Consultant Anaesthetist, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Analgesia for labour
- Managing complications and emergencies
- Haemorrhage
11.40 – 12.00
BREAK
12.00 – 12.50
Care of the surgical patient
Dr Sarah Armstrong
Consultant Anaesthetist, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Perioperative assessment and preparation
- Advanced monitoring
- Developments in the care of high-risk patients
12.50 – 13.50
LUNCH BREAK
13.50 – 14.40
Update in anaesthesia for renal patients.
Dr Antony Ratnasingham
Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at East Surrey Hospital
- Renal physiology and anaesthesia
- Advances and guidelines in renal anaesthesia
- Identifying at-risk patients
- Preoperative investigations and perioperative outcomes
- Fluid assessment and management
- Specific considerations for dialysis patients
- Choice of anaesthesia: General vs. regional
- Haemodynamic stability and nephrotoxicity prevention
- Intraoperative fluid therapy (crystalloids vs. colloids)
- Drug pharmacokinetics and dose adjustments (opioids, NM blockers, sedatives)
- Nephrotoxic agents (NSAIDs, contrast dyes, aminoglycosides)
- Monitoring & perioperative management
14.40 – 15.30
Out of Theatre: Emergencies and Transfer
Dr Christopher Edmunds
Consultant in Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine, and Pre-hospital Care, North West Anglia Foundation Trust and East Anglian Air Ambulance
- Common scenarios and cases in the ED
- Out of hospital cardiac arrest and cardiology emergencies
- Hyper-acute management of neurological emergencies
- Essential knowledge from collapse to retrieval
15.30 – 15.50
BREAK
15.50 – 16.40
Assessment and Management of Major Trauma
Dr Christopher Edmunds
Consultant in Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine, and Pre-hospital Care, North West Anglia Foundation Trust and East Anglian Air Ambulance
- Clearing the spine; spinal cord injuries
- Managing the bleeding: acute blood loss; cell savers; shock packs; crystalloids vs colloids
- Thermal injury and burns
- Pelvic fractures – stabilisation; bleeding
10.00 – 10.45
Frailty in the perioperative setting
Dr Jia Liu Stevens
Consultant Anaesthetist, University Hospital Sussex NHS Trust
- Physiology of frailty and relevance to the anaesthetist
- An update on current perioperative guidance on frailty
- Frailty in pre-assessment, scoring tools and shared decision making
- Intraoperative and postoperative considerations
Wednesday 9 September 2026
10.45 - 11.30
Evaluating cardiac risk in non-cardiac surgery Anaesthesia
Dr Rob Stephens
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College Hospital, London, and Associate Professor in Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University College London
- Priorities in pre-op cardiac assessment
- Who, what, how and when?
- CPET testing
- Other pre-operative tests
11.30 – 11.45
BREAK
11.45 – 12.30
Update on sedation techniques
Dr Kirstie McPherson
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College Hospital, London
- Optimising pain relief
- Rescue techniques
- Special situations – ICU, ED, radiology
12.30 – 13.20
Difficult airway and updates
Dr Orla Lacey
Consultant Anaesthetist, (anaesthesia for head and neck/maxillofacial cancers),
the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London
- What is a difficult airway
- Latest guidelines and emerging technologies
- Planning and preparation strategies
- Rapid assessment and potential interventions beyond routine
- Awake Intubation & Airway Rescue Techniques
- When to extubate?
13.20 – 14.00
LUNCH BREAK
14.00 – 14.45
Paediatrics Update
Dr Ganga Liyanage
Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital London
- Perioperative care
- Intravenous anaesthesia for paediatric cases
- Assessment and management of the critically ill child
- Paediatric emergencies
14.45 – 15.30
Transfer of the critically Ill patient
Dr Mohammed Khaku
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Landscape for inter-hospital transfer
- Evidence and guidelines
- Risk assessment and pre-transfer stabilisation
15.30 – 15.45
BREAK
15.45 – 16.45
Why TIVA and BIS monitoring matter in modern anaesthesia
Dr Olivier de Brett
Consultant in Anaesthesia, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
- Inhalational agents or a TIVA approach?
- TIVA for different patients: elderly, obese, paediatrics
- Optimising TIVA for neurosurgery, bariatric and ambulatory procedures
- Drug interactions and multimodal analgesia
- Initiation of TIVA: Key principles of propofol, induction and maintenance agents.
- Target-controlled infusion (TCI) models
- Fine-tuning dosing based on patient characteristics using appropriate models.
- EEG monitoring brain activity during TIVA
- BIS value interpretation, limitations and accuracy
- Pros, Cons, recovery time and side effects
- Evaluating outcomes such as smooth recovery, nausea, hemodynamic stability, and cognitive effects.
- Advances in TIVA administration
Thursday 10 September 2026
10.00 – 10.50
Developments in Radiology for the Busy Anaesthetist
Dr Monica Arora
Consultant Radiologist, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Trauma radiology
- Heart failure – CXR and CT interpretations
- Appearances and position of all lines and tubes
- Signs of Px, Hx and haemopx on supine CXRs
- Collapse and atelectasis
- When normal, pitfalls and commonly missed things
10.50 – 11.00
BREAK
11.00 – 11.50
Ultrasound for the General Anaesthetist
Dr Tim Egan
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College Hospital, London
- Quick anatomical revision,
- Performance, efficacy and benefits
- Anatomical landmarks
- Guided Nerve Blocks – when to/when not to use
11.50 – 12.30
BREAK
12.30 – 13.20
Robotic Surgery and the challenges for the anaesthetist
Dr Jigna Modha
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London
- Robotic surgery – latest advances
- Some of the devices and systems
- Preoperative assessment and preparation
- Anaesthetic techniques for Robotic surgery (airway management, patient positioning, etc)
- Haemodynamic Considerations and ventilation strategies
- Some of the anaesthetist main concerns
- Postop considerations and potential complications
13.20 – 13.30
LUNCH BREAK
13.30 – 14.20
Diabetic patient - An update for peri-operative management
Dr Jigna Modha
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London
- Obesity, lipids and diabetes
- Update on changes
- Controlling peri-operative
- Glycaemic levels
- Drugs and fluids
- Issues for day surgery
- Different drugs for both Type 1 and Type 2 DM
14.20 – 14.40
BREAK
14.40 – 15.30
Obesity - A widespread challenge
Dr Thomas Wojcikiewicz
Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust
- Epidemiology and clinical implications (inc. Diabetes)
- Overview of bariatric procedures and anaesthetic management
- Obesity and other surgery- tips/take home messages-
- Obesity in ITU
- After bariatric surgery, if patient is back in theatre – what the General Anaesthetist needs to know.
15.30 – 15.50
BREAK
15.50 – 16.40
Cardiology and vascular
Dr Dan Bromage
Senior Clinical Lecturer, King's College London and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, King's College Hospital, London
- Acute coronary syndromes and PCI
- Antiplatelet agents
- Pacemakers and peri-operative management
- Atrial fibrillation and stroke prevention
- OOHCA without ST elevation
- ECG for the anaesthetist- what’s important
About the course
- A well-established annual course running for the last 20 years.
- To provide the Anaesthetist with a comprehensive and stimulating update covering a range of topics highly relevant to day-to-day practice
- Lectures by a multidisciplinary Faculty of leading anaesthetists and other specialists
- A practical focus on enhancing knowledge in Anaesthesia and other disciplines that impact on it
- Faculty comprising leading Anaesthetists and other specialists who are doing the job and can supply the expert, up-to-date and evidence-based information
Course director
Dr Sarah Armstrong
Sarah is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey with specialist interest in obstetric anaesthesia.
She is an elected member in the Executive Committee of the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association and is currently Chair of the Surveys subcommittee.
Sarah has a strong interest in education and simulation, and she has authored books for the Primary and Final FRCA exams and several book chapters and articles on obstetric anaesthesia.
Our expert faculty comprises professionals from Anaesthesia and related specialties, with years of clinical experience, teaching, and peer-to-peer skill sharing at leading hospitals.
Faculty members
Dr Simeon West
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London Hospital
Dr Sim West is a consultant anaesthetist at UCLH. He graduated from Sheffield in 2000, and completed his training in anaesthesia in North London, spending 2012 as the Smiths Medical Innovation Fellow. He was appointed to UCLH in 2013 and is lead for regional anaesthesia and the orthopaedic hub. His research interests include improving visualisation of needles, catheters and nerves, and holds honorary positions with UCL and Kings. He has been on the board of RA-UK for 6 years, running website and comms.
Dr Ganga Liyanage
Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital London
Dr Rob Stephens
Consultant in Anaesthesia, University College London Hospital, and Associate Professor in Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, University College London
Dr Stephens obtained his medical degree in 1993 from the University of London and completed training in the North Central London School of Anaesthesia and became a fellow of the RCoA in 2000. He has clinical interests in perioperative medicine, major complex adult surgery, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and postoperative critical care.
He completed a research MD in perioperative immunology at UCL, with further research interests in respiratory and exercise physiology, perioperative haemodynamic optimisation and mechanisms of postoperative morbidity.
He is very interested in medical student training, and runs the Anaesthesia parts for the UCL MBBS for year 4, and is lead for clinical and professional practice teaching in the MBBS curriculum.
Dr Orla Lacey
Consultant Anaesthetist, (anaesthesia for head and neck/maxillofacial cancers),
the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London
Dr Monica Arora
Consultant Radiologist, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Christopher Edmunds
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care Medicine and Pre-Hospital Medicine, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, East Anglian Air Ambulance, and Adult Critical Care Transfer Services
Dr Jia Liu Stevens
Consultant Anaesthetist, University Hospital Sussex NHS Trust
Dr Dan Bromage
Consultant Cardiologist, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Honorary Senior Lecturer, King's College London.
Dan completed his medical degree at the University of Bristol in 2006 and undertook postgraduate medical training in the South West and London and later undertook a PhD at UCL in 2016.
He moved to King’s where he completed an NIHR Clinical Lectureship and after doing further research he was appointed a consultant. His aim is to continue in a combined clinical academic role.
Dr Thomas Wojcikiewicz
Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Kirstie McPherson
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London Hospital
Kirstie graduated from Leeds University School of Medicine and completed anaesthesia training in the Central London School of Anaesthesia, she is now a consultant in anaesthesia at UCLH with a specialist interest in Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine.
Her other key interests include advanced airway management and the use of digital technology to support surgical pathways.
Dr Jigna Modha
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London Hospital
Dr Jigna Modha trained in medicine at the University of Birmingham graduating in 2004, where she also undertook a BMedSc (Hons) in Public Health and Epidemiology (2003).
She completed her anaesthetic training in Leicester and London being awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2012.
She joined UCLH as a consultant in 2016. Her sub-specialty clinical interests are anaesthesia for head and neck and ENT surgery, anaesthesia for colorectal and minimally invasive surgery, anaesthesia for major surgery including cancer, perioperative medicine and preoperative assesment.
Jigna is the divisional audit lead for theatres and anaesthetics as well as anaesthetic lead for robotic surgery and perioperative diabetes in surgery.
Dr Mohammed Khaku
Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Antony Ratnasingham
Consultant Anaesthetist at East Surrey Hospital since 2021.
Main Interests in Research / Airway / Major High-Risk Surgery and Perioperative Medicine.
I was Awarded CESR in August 2021 by RCOA as best application college had seen. I now sit on the portfolio pathway ((CESR) group at RCOA as an assessor and lectures on this nationally.
I have been appointed as NIHR Regional Speciality lead for Southeast of England for Anaesthetics since 2024, as well as been principal investigator on a number of national studies.
Comments from attendees in 2024
Good in depth coverage of the topics. Learned speakers. Easy to join the lectures and straight forward instructions
Obstetric update, radiology session, perioperative challenges
Topics, information that are useful and answering the question from everyday practise
Very informative, varied useful topics for daily work, well organised
Subjects have been chosen well. IT support was excellent. Most of the speakers were excellent speakers and delivered the topics attractively.
Perfect IT, all speakers keeping to time, some speakers put too much info into the presentation so the delivery was rushed (better to include less)
In general i felt my practice is up to date. I will try to consolidate my nerve block knowledge and skills
My practice is a small part of the overall anaesthetic arena which anaesthetists practise in , but this keeps me abreast of the best knowledge , now , and developing .
I have attended this course online a number of times and it continues to provide a really excellent update on contemporary anaesthetic practice. It is the best resource available for this purpose.
This covered a large amount of useful content and Inwould recommend to colleagues needing a general update. I also work in ICM and felt some of the talks also benefitted my work in this area too.
Update is essential as I do not practise all the disciplines I used to do
The coverage of topics were very good
Very informative, varied useful topics for daily work, well organised
Comments from attendees in 2023
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Really excellent course content, wide range of very important topics which is unusual to get in just one course!
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I liked then broad and general CPD topics, content, the lecturers, and the convenience of doing it from home, no travelling, no hotels.
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Excellent, relevant and up-to-date, I am already considering this course for next year
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I think the best is the fact it’s online therefore easy to access from home with fantastic range of topics/CPD and excellent speakers
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Very good general review, a few excellent lectures – none poor
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Excellent thank you, I will definitely be on the lookout for the next course on this platform. We’ll done to the Informed organisers
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Nice selection of helpful topics, not all applicable to my practice as I mostly do Pain Management; however, there was still plenty to learn and apply in my Anaesthetic Practice.
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I am very pleased I attended! Brilliant speakers with good information very well presented.
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Great range of topics, perfect, they covered my CPD needs very well
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No issues with the IT set up was very good, ran smoothly. no problems. Well organised
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An excellent virtual course, good variety in the content, late start and decent breaks, and most of all first class speakers
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Time keeping was very good by all presenters and they did justice to the event by covering as much as feasible. Generous CPD points will help my Appraisal requirements towards revalidation.
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Excellent topics, efficient speakers, nicely timed, frequent breaks and the quality of the content.
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Brilliant to be taught by professionals that know their topics, ease learning from home and I can go back to the catch up as part of the price!
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Worth mentioning the quality of the presentation , quality of the presenters and organisation of the course from registration to the day of the course.
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Timely, efficient, very easy to book, helpful staff, great lecture topics, very relevant & practical
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Confidence booster, definitely learnt a few tips, I will be able to do anaesthesia with better understanding
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We had great support from the IT staff when needed, updated knowledge on suggested topics and familiar environment to encourage knowledge spread amongst attenders!
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A very good course, difficult to pick 3 things that could be done better! Not about this course specifically, but I would say I heard about this from a friend. Not seen these courses advertised anywhere so perhaps you should advertise future courses more widely! Perhaps email round individual anaesthetic depts.
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I have taken onboard lots of useful tips and advice on where to look for further information; as an elderly consultant working in a specialist hospital this course keeps me abreast of what’s happening in mainstream anaesthesia.
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Very useful refresher and aid for revalidation of practice Can implement to the best of opportunities.
Comments from attendees in 2022
Excellent, this well sought after course has improved year on year.
Great topics, very useful content, and brilliant online presentations,
Excellent series of lectures for the practicing general anaesthetist.
Good to attend from home, catch up facility available in the price – all very cost effective.
Excellent value for money and I loved the content and delivery, I will certainly come again!
Very convenient online and a very good spread of material covered.
Course topics selection coverage of topics and content by speakers streaming service.
Very convenient to attend from home (no expenditure), informative and very good faculty.
Nothing would have made the course better for me – it was excellent.
The course covered diverse areas of my practice and the contents kept me up to date with my skills, good for me at the DGH.
Excellent speakers, topics relevant to everyday practice
This course has a very practical content, easily explained so it can be implemented without much effort into practice.
Very good speakers, well-chosen content, and good timekeeping
I liked the webinar format, good range of topics and knowledgeable speakers.
This course had a wide range of well-chosen topics, excellent quality of lectures and lecturers, and valuable new information.
A very useful radiology update, it is not something we are taught at work.
Good revision and update, it will enhance my practical skills and improve approach to patient care
It gave me the opportunity to review many aspects of my practice.
How to attend this course
This course is hosted online using Teams or Webex. We shall provide you with a joining link and instructions one week before the course begins.
In the meantime, you can checkout our tutorials below. On the course day, we also provide full support and giudance by chat, email and telephone.
Guide: How to join a course
Frequently asked questions
When will I receive my course login?
We will contact you by email one week before the course takes place with all the necessary links and joining information.
We will re-send the links the day before the course.
If you have not received an email from us please contact us at webinars@infomedltd.co.uk and we will respond ASAP.
Will I need any special software to partake?
NO. Infomed shall provide you, upon registration a link to stream the course within your web browser, or you can download a small application to run it as a separate window on your computer. If you would prefer a mobile device, we shall also include a link download an app from the Play Store/App Store.
Can I interact with the speakers?
YES! It is very much encouraged. There will be Q&A sessions chaired by Infomed. You can type your questions in the ‘chat’ facility and they will be put to the speakers.
How I do access my catch-up & CPD certificate?
You can find your catch-up in your account page.
At the end of the catch-up page you will find a link to the feedback form, which will generate your CPD certificate when you submit your feedback.
If the catch-up is not visible in your account, please contact us and we will amend your account ASAP.
How to connect to a live online course
Using the short videos below, we shall guide you through the process of joining a meeting using Webex.
If joining from your own computer
If you are connecting from your own device then it is likely that you will be able to join via the Webex application.
If joining from a trust/institution computer
However, if you are using a computer that is owned and restricted by your trust, then you may find it easier to join via your web browser. Please see the second video for guidance on this process.
Joining Webex using the application on your PC or Mac
Joining Webex using your web browser
Accessing the PACS
Using the short videos below, we shall guide you through the process of opening the PACS and then on to opening, manipulating, and closing a case.
You are welcome to access our demo case set below
View demo cases here
Password: INFOMED
Accessing the database and cases on PACS
Advanced features of PACS
I've connected to a course but can't hear anything
When you connect to a course you should see some introductory slides and hear music.
If you cannot hear any music please check you are connected to the audio.
At the bottom of the webex meeting you may see a button that says “Connect to audio”.
Click this and then select “Use computer for audio” in the pop-up box.
If you have connected by a browser you may need to give your browser access to your microphone in order to connect to the audio.
Click the padlock in the top left of your browser and make sure microphone access is allowed
If this does not resolve your issue please email us or call us on 0204 520 5081
What do I need to join a course?
To join an Infomed Online course you simply need an internet connection and a browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari).
You can also connect from a mobile device: Download the Webex Meetings app from your App Store.
To join a course with a smooth experience, your internet connection must be stable, not connected to a VPN and at least 20Mbps download.
Below you can use the tool to run an internet speed test.
You must test from:
- — the location that you intend the see the course from;
- — withing the location, if using Wi-Fi, the room or department area that you intend to view the course from to ensure a good signal
- — if connecting from home, a computer that is not connected to a workplace VPN
When will the on-demand catch-up be ready?
We aim to make the on-demand catch-up service available to you as quickly as possible.
The recordings will go through editing and then they will be placed on to our e-learning platform. This usually take around 3 working days.
Once they are available, we’ll write to you with the direct link and instructions
You’ll then see the sessions waiting for you on your account. You’ll then have 90 days of access.
Speed test
Internet Speed Test
Please test your connection speed at www.fast.com
To join a course with a smooth experience, your internet connection must be stable, not connected to a VPN and at least 20Mbps download.
Course fee
Early bookers' rate until Friday 5 June 2026
One day: £195
Two days: £330
Three days: £475
Standard fees
One day: £225
Two days: £345
Three days: £515
All fees include VAT
What's included
- Live online access for the three days
- 90 days of access to the on-demand version of the course with unlimited playback
- CPD Certificate of attendance with 18 CPD points
- Opportunity to interact, ask questions directly to the faculty.
