Clinicians at Forth Valley Royal Hospital are inviting anyone who worked in the Casualty department in the 1960s in either Stirling or Falkirk hospitals to drop in and join them at a Celebratory Cake Day to mark 50 years of emergency medicine as a speciality.

The chance to sample delicious cakes and reminisce is one of a series of events, which will take place across Forth Valley in the week beginning 9^th October 2017 with the theme Inspiration, Celebration and Innovation.

NHS Forth Valley Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Dr Elspeth Pitt said: “Cakes will be available on Wednesday October 11^th 2017 between 2.00pm and 4.00pm in the Seminar Room in the Emergency Department and we would love to personally invite anyone working in A and E in the 60’s to join us. We hope to have some nurses’ uniforms, hospital equipment and photographs from that time on display, which will be a great talking point.”

Meanwhile patients attending the Emergency Department during the week will be able to learn more about how to help people with drugs and alcohol problems, ways of avoiding accidents in the home, and saving lives through organ donation. Information leaflets will be supported by giveaways from various organisations; The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for example, are donating child safety locks and children’s height charts.

Dr Pitt added, “We’re really looking forward to taking part and helping to educate and inspire the public about the work of our own department and emergency medicine in general. Emergency Medicine is so important in this country and over the past half century has made a real difference to hundreds of thousands of lives locally. To have made it to 50 years as a speciality is a real achievement.”

Background           

 Fifty years ago the first meeting of the Casualty Surgeons Association (CSA) – the forerunner of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine – took place at BMA House. Dr Maurice Ellis chaired the meeting of 10 officers, most of whom were non-consultant Senior Casualty officers, but had surgical backgrounds.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine is the single authoritative body for Emergency Medicine in the UK. Emergency Medicine is the medical specialty which provides doctors and consultants to A&E departments in the NHS in the UK and other healthcare systems across the world.

The Royal College works to ensure high quality care by setting and monitoring standards of care, and providing expert guidance and advice on policy to relevant bodies on matters relating to Emergency Medicine.

The Royal College has over 6,000 fellows and members, who are doctors and consultants in emergency departments working in the health services in Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and across the world.

For more information visit rcem.ac.uk