An update on your FSRH Clinical Effectiveness Unit

Please read below for an update on your FSRH Clinical Effectiveness Unit.

New location, same outstanding clinical outputs 

From early 2024, your FSRH Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU) will be relocated to the London based Faculty offices. Your access to high quality guidelines and guidance and will remain unchanged.  

Over the past six months we have been working on a transformation programme designed to deliver the long-term sustainability, enhanced member experience and improved governance arrangements for FSRH. As part of that wider programme, we have been looking at different options for running the CEU and delivering FSRH guidance in line with achieving that long-term sustainability, with the current CEU contract with NHS Lothian expiring in 2024. In the last month, both the Council and Board of Trustees have agreed to a recommendation to relocate the CEU within the London offices. This decision was made following an options analysis conducted from February to May this year and overseen by a steering group including member, officer, and trustee representation. 

A continuing commitment to you 

The CEU will continue to have clinical leadership through a Clinical Director and clinical representation, and work closely with members, lay representatives, and subject matter experts through the continued involvement of Guideline Development Groups to help shape our guidelines.  

The CEU has evolved over the years and has been hosted at three locations to date. The Chalmers Centre at NHS Lothian has held the contract for the last eight years, delivering a high-quality service and production of guidelines and other clinical quality products on a range of topics. We would like to take this opportunity to express our huge thanks to the team for all their hard work and fantastic output. The team have worked tirelessly on behalf of the FSRH and their commitment to evidence-based guideline development is to be celebrated. On behalf of all at the FSRH, thank you to all in the team for the incredible work, which leaves a strong legacy to build upon as we implement the next evolution of the CEU that will continue to produce one of the most important FSRH member benefits. 

The London based CEU will continue to develop high-quality guidelines in line with best practice and NICE accreditation processes and produce evidence-based statements and guidance for members, in keeping with the development model used by NICE and other peer Royal College’s. A carefully managed transition will now commence and we will keep you informed of developments.  

Enhancing your practice 

We would like to also take this opportunity to inform you of a new member benefit that is coming soon. As part of our commitment to continue to enhance member benefits, we will be launching later this year audio summaries of FSRH guidelines as an exclusive new product for members. We have heard from many members that the ability to listen to guideline summaries would be a positive development to support accessibility and in recognition of the time constraints facing clinicians. We will be launching the first audio summary later this year and please keep an eye out for the launch communications. 

Once again, our thanks to the NHS Lothian team and we look forward to introducing the next iteration of your FSRH CEU. 

Dr Janet Barter
FSRH President                 

Dr Helen Munro
FSRH Vice President, Clinical Quality                                              

Gary Waltham
Chief Executive