Acute Medicine Awareness Week
15th to 21st of July 2013
Most hospitals in the UK have an Acute Medical Unit (AMU), providing high quality, multi-professional care for patients admitted to hospital as emergencies. Those of us who work in the speciality can see the benefits which the AMU and its hardworking staff can provide to patients on a daily basis. However beyond our walls, there is often a poor understanding of the concept of acute medicine. The Society wants to raise awareness of our specialty, so that, in the future the term ‘acute medicine’ will be as familiar to patients and NHS staff as any other aspect of hospital care.
A step towards this goal is Acute Medicine Awareness Week from the 15th to the 21st of July 2013.
Last year was the first ever acute medicine awareness day (20 June 2012). It was a great success and 28 units in the UK took part. Locally, AMUs organised a variety of events from a rounders tournament and a sponsored parachute jump to open-day in the units with visits from local politicians and cake sale and general awareness activities around the AMU. Nationally, the Society for Acute Medicine launched its Quality Indicators in the AMU report in collaboration with the West Midlands Quality Review Service.
This year, we choose to make it last a week! Not because, we want you to organise a week-long event but to allow more flexibility and choice as to when you would like to organise the event.
In addition to raising awareness of the specialty, this will be a great opportunity for AMUs to raise charity funds for their units which can be used for equipment, training and other educational activities.
We would like as many units as possible to get involved, in order to try to spread the ‘acute medicine message’ to all parts of the UK.
How can you help?
Hold fundraising events for your AMU during that week:
- How about doing a sponsored run or bike ride?
- A quiz night or a themed charity ball / dinner?
- Maybe ask local businesses to donate prizes for a raffle or secret auction?
 Hold awareness raising events during that week:#
- How about inviting a local celebrity or MP into your unit to meet the patients and staff?
- Involve your local newspaper and radio / TV stations (in liaison with your hospital’s media / communications department)
- Host an open day or provide guided tours of your unit.
- Host a stand in your hospital reception which will provide information on acute medicine and the AMU.
Materials
SAM will help by providing templates for leaflets, posters, and press release templates. Most of these will be available to download nearer the time.
ACUTE MEDICINE AWARENESS WEEK (Pdf - opens in new window)
Registration Form (Word 97 - opens in new window)
For more information or to register your interest please email:
Claire Charras
Communications and Marketing Executive
Email:
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Phone: (0044) 07 985 494 965
If you would like to get involved please nominate a local ‘Awareness Week Champion’ who will be the main organiser for events in your unit; this could be a consultant, matron, senior nurse or AHP or an acute medicine trainee who is going to be working in the unit between now and July.
Perhaps, you already know what you would like to do. In which case, please download this registration form (opens in new window) and send it back to the email address above.
Acute Medicine Awareness Week has the potential to make a real difference for our speciality and for your unit, but we are dependent on the enthusiasm of our members to make it a success. There is much to do to prepare for this event so the sooner you start planning the better!
Remember to join us online.
 @acutemedicine #AMAW13
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