Journal of Clinical Trials
Open Access
ISSN: 2167-0870
ISSN: 2167-0870
Joyce Yeung
ScientificTracks Abstracts-Workshop: J Clin Trials
The decline of UK academic anaesthesia research: Over the past decade, there has been increasing concern over the decline of
academic anaesthesia in UK with dwindling numbers of academic departments, trainees undertaking research and reduction
in successful grant funding. A 2005 review on the state of academic anaesthesia in UK and described the ‘crisis’ that the
specialty was facing. The report identified multiple factors including modern medical training in anaesthesia, restructuring of
university funding and excessive procedures to obtain bureaucratic approval for research.
The need for trainee in research: Trainees represent an untapped and valuable resource that can both support on-going research
and develop new research ideas. Trainees are enthusiastic and keen to get involved. Trainee networks set up by UK surgical
trainees and have been extremely successful in spearheading and generating nationally funded trials (e.g. West Midlands
Surgical Research Collaborative: ROSSINI trial, DREAMS study). Research network organisedby trainees with experience
in research will be invaluable in mentoring and assisting those with less experience or less local support. National Institute
for Health Research has created research training posts as part of Integrated Academic Training Pathways to make research
training more accessible to trainees in all specialties including anaesthesia. Despite this progress, there is still a recognised lack
of support for anaesthetic trainees in clinical training who want to participate in high quality research projects. A previous
national survey revealed a broad interest in research by trainees (60%) but very few (8%) had any research experience. It was
alarming that 41% of final year trainee failed to fulfil the curriculum requirement of completed audit, research involvement
or systemic review. My talk will highlight the reasons that I believe we should include trainees in all aspects of research. I will
describe my experience in setting up a regional network (West Midlands Trainee Research in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
Network, WM-TRAIN), which have grown into a national movement.
Joyce Yeung completed her anaesthetic training at Warwickshire School of Anaesthesia. Her PhD into strategies to improve quality of cardiopulmonary
resuscitation was awarded the first PhD fellowship from Resuscitation Council UK. She is an expert reviewer for International Liaison Committee for Resuscitation
and regularly contributed tothe international resuscitation guidelines. She is a member of Editorial board of Resuscitation Journal and a faculty speaker at European
Resuscitation Council Scientific Symposium. She is a Clinician Scientist in Anaesthesia and an NIHR Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Birmingham, and an
honorary consultant in anaesthesia and critical care at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. As part of Perioperative, Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Trauma
Trials (PACCT) group, she leads research studies in anaesthesia, critical careand resuscitation. Current research projects include the impact of anaesthesia on
peri-operative outcomes, chronic pain, acute lung injury and education in resuscitation. Joyce is passionate about making research training more accessible for
anaesthetic trainees and is the co-founder of West Midlands Trainee Research in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Network (WMTRAIN) and a consultant advocate
for Research and Audit Federation of Trainees UK (RAFT).