The role of the Council is to uphold and drive the aims of the BAAEC in promoting the development, adoption and expansion of Ambulatory Emergency Care as a specialty across the NHS in the UK for the benefit of patients, staff and members of the association.
The Council will conduct and review research and learning in the field of AEC both from within and without the membership and will disseminate this through an online presence, regularly updated literature and conference.
The Council will form the key resource in raising AEC in the socio-political agenda, engaging with strategic decision-making at all levels while ensuring equitable access to patients and their significant others.
The Council seeks to represent the widest range of stakeholders, environments and experiences in its work and so is composed of individuals who have direct involvement in the relevant fields.
President
The President will have a deep and wide-ranging understanding of the field of AEC and will be able to demonstrate a major contribution to the body of knowledge. The President's responsibilities include leadership, chairing meetings, helping the Council to work together as a team, having an extensive overview of the work of the group and will be the main representative for the work of the Association. A senior clinical member of the Association will fill the President Role.
Vice President
The Vice President will be able to demonstrate a similar contribution to the field of AEC and will deputise for the President where appropriate. Working in this way will allow for both President and Vice President to maintain an active service level role alongside their Association commitments. The Vice President need not be from a clinical background but will have extensive experience in delivery and development of AEC services.
Honorary Secretary
The role of the Secretary will be to ensure accurate minutes are taken at the council and general meetings and disseminating this information, keep people informed about the Association's activities including meetings and conferences, and receiving and responding to information, emails and letters. The Secretary will usually be the first point of contact for external communication and will ensure that this reaches the relevant council member for response.
Honorary Treasurer
The Treasurer has the day-to-day responsibility of looking after the Association's finances. They have an overview of the Association's financial situation and provide information to help the group make informed decisions, keeping financial records for the group and keeping the group informed of this. The Treasurer will have a focus on coordinating, identifying and developing sufficient income streams to keep the Association in a stable financial position. The Treasurer will provide public reporting of the Associations finances at Council meetings and AGMs.
Nursing Practice Representative
The Nursing Practice Representative will be able to demonstrate a significant contribution to the development of nursing roles and practice within the field of AEC. In conjunction with the Nursing Education Representative they will be responsible for raising the profile of nursing at local and national level and working towards a discrete body of knowledge relating to the field. The focus of the Practice representative is the direct provision of nursing care and systems for deliver. This will include standards, levels of practice and expanding roles to positively impact on the experience of patients.
Nursing Education Representative
The Nursing Education Representative will be able to demonstrate a significant contribution to the learning needs of nurses within the AEC environment and will have direct experience of developing programmes within Higher Education. They will work closely with the Nursing Practice Representative to raise the profile of nursing at local and national level and work towards a discrete body of knowledge relating to the field. The focus of the Education representative is the learning needs of nurses working within AEC and levels and modes of delivery. This will include educational preparation of nursing support roles through to advanced practice.
Acute Medicine Representative
Having an Acute Medicine background and direct experience of working in AEC systems this representative will be responsible for the development of Medical roles within the field. They will focus on the integration of AEC principles throughout the acute medical pathway, leadership, and identifying further opportunities to expand the medical model. They will be responsible for engaging with colleagues from medical sub-specialities and ensuring inclusion at appropriate Council meetings. They will also work towards inclusion of AEC within the agenda for medical trainees.
Surgery Representative
Having a Surgical background and direct experience of working in AEC systems this representative will be responsible for the development of Surgical roles within the field. They will focus on the integration of AEC principles throughout the surgical pathway with particular reference to Day Surgery, leadership, and identifying further opportunities to expand the surgical model. They will be responsible for engaging with colleagues from surgical sub-specialities and ensuring inclusion at appropriate Council meetings. They will also work towards inclusion of AEC within the agenda for surgical trainees.
Emergency Medicine Representative
Having an Emergency Medicine background and direct experience of working in AEC systems this representative will be responsible for the development of emergency medical roles within the field. They will focus on the integration of AEC principles throughout the emergency pathway, leadership, and identifying further opportunities to expand the medical model. They will have a key focus on the relationship between AEC and Observational Emergency Medicine. They will also work towards inclusion of AEC within the agenda for emergency medicine trainees.
Allied Health Professionals Representative
The representative for Allied Health Professionals will have experience across the primary and secondary care environments. They will raise the profile of AEC within the relevant professional bodies and work towards establishing a discrete body of knowledge within the field. The AHP representative will be focused on identifying when input from other Therapies and Social Services are required to the work of the Council and establishing access to this. They will provide a key link to the reablement functions that can be achieved through AEC.
Measurement for Improvement Representative
This Council member will be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the statistical and data needs of AEC services. They will play a key role in national discussions around measuring and bench-marking AEC activity and the tariff and return on involvement implications of this.
Patient Representative
The Patient Representative will be a lay member of the Council who will provide a voice for service users and their significant others. They will have a responsibility for communicating the work of the Association with wider patient advocacy groups and seeking their engagement as appropriate.