ALERT™

The ALERT™ course incorporates interactive seminars, practical demonstrations and role-play clinical scenarios during which the candidates are encouraged to reflect on their actions and to consider 'What would I do next?' An ALERT™ course manual, for pre-course reading, is provided to all attendees.

Originally developed in 1999 by Professor Gary Smith, and colleagues at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, ALERT™ is a multi-professional course to train staff in recognising patient deterioration and act appropriately in treating the acutely unwell. The course is usually delivered as a one-day interactive seminar built around practical patient-based scenarios. The day is supported by a comprehensive reference manual and slide presentation.ALERT™ uses a structured and prioritised system of patient assessment and management to enable a pre-emptive approach to critical illness. It instructs staff in the recognition of impending clinical deterioration, the management of disordered physiology and other aspects of the delivery of acute care.

ALERT™ has now run successfully since the beginning of 2000 and has been delivered in over 100 centres in the UK and overseas. The course is:

• a blended, flexible, learning programme

• a track record of delivery over the past 10 years

• multi-disciplinary

• recognised by several medical royal colleges

• supported by optional assessments and issuing of formal certificates

• simple to organise and deliver with no special equipment needed

It is expected that the introduction of the ALERT™ course will result in specific benefits to patients, their relatives and hospital staff, such as:

• improvements in the general ward care of patients

• a reduced number of cardiac arrest calls on general wards

• earlier, and more appropriate referrals to the intensive care unit

• fewer re-admissions to the intensive care unit

• fewer avoidable in-hospital deaths

• improved decision-making regarding the resuscitation status of patients

• improved multi-professional teamwork

• improved communication

• fewer complaints from patients or their relatives

Taken from alert-course.com 12-Nov-14

Cost: £85 (with a reduced rate of £40 for Addenbrooke's nursing staff)

Please phone the PGMC office to make payment: 01223 256229

Please note that your place on the course is not confirmed until payment is received. 

For Addenbrooke's nurses: If your supervisor has confirmed your place on the course & subsequently you are unable to attend, your fee will still be charged to your department unless the place can be filled by a department colleague.

Please be advised that your course fee is refundable for up to 14 days following your application. Thereafter course fees are non-refundable