BAEN strategy launched

BSACI Allergy Education Networks strategy launched

Dr Siân Ludman

Consultant in Paediatric Allergy Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

whilst to this point Gill, Liz and I have taken the lead on certain sections, it has taken a village of people to create this document. This has all been ably led and enthusiastically driven by Prof Judith Holloway who has really enabled this strategy to come to life. Figure 1 below summarises how this document was initially created. The main working party found that the strategy easily broke down in to three different parts to focus on: Undergraduate, Community and Hospital. Each part has been designed to provide and showcase: • Benefits for patients • Benefits for you • Benefits for your institution To give a little more information on these three strands we presented three slides captured below at the education session. You can see from these images that there are common themes throughout the document. These main themes include sustainability, guidance on quality education and resources from day 1 of undergraduate training to retirement as well as collaboration and networking around the entire UK.

Working strictly in the three sections of Undergraduate, Community and Hospital does not best serve the next phase of implementation. Cross cutting themes were identified including marketing, curricula, competencies and educational resources. These are working across each section to provide inclusive and seamless

At the inaugural Allergy Education session (in memory of Professor Tony Frew) delivered during lunch on the second day of BSACI meeting, I was delighted to be sitting with Prof Gill Vance and Dr Liz Angier presenting the BSACI Allergy Education Network’s (BAEN) first tentative steps out of theory and into practice. The concept of the BAEN has been discussed in an article in CEA1 last year, however I am glad of the space in this edition of Allergy Update to have more opportunity to show people where we go from here. The BAEN strategy has now been ratified by the BSACI council, and

Figure 1. Summary of the creation of the BSACI Allergy Education Networks strategy

Undergraduate education strategy

Key target area (‘why’)

• To enable sustainable, high-quality allergy care • Anticipate future practice needs and systems of working • To encourage allergy as an exciting career destination

Our aims (‘what’)

• Embed allergy-related outcomes in curricula • Provide teaching/learning resources to support curriculum delivery • Support career development

Our plan (‘how’)

• Set of strategic objectives –

Collaboration, engagement,

‘community-building’ activities

information and support. The role of implementation is not to re-invent the wheel, more to identify what is presently available in the UK and abroad which can be amalgamated and utilised by us all. Nor can everything be achieved at once. There has been considerable work done between groups, such as the marketing group creating content for the website www.bsaci.org/educationand-events/bsaci-national-allergy-educationstrategy which will host not only the strategy but also all of the educational resources we have amalgamated. We hope in time that the BSACI will accredit the resources that we have collated to sign post all health care professionals to a course or event which will support their curriculum and competencies. Now that the document is due to be launched, it is time for involvement in the implementation phase. Below you will find a QR code. Please scan this; it takes you to a simple survey where we are trying to collate local, regional, national and international educational events of any form which can be evaluated and collated on our landing page. Not only that, we are looking for more people to get involved at a national and grass roots level. If you are interested in joining the BAEN network please email Judith on info@bsaci.org. More than that, we are looking specifically for people to be Allergy Education Champions. It is our fervent desire that we have an education champion in each region and from a variety of health professional roles. If you are interested in becoming a champion, or even just learning a little more about the role please email marie@bsaci.org. When the champions are in place the BSACI BAEN page will hold a list of names in each region, each of whom will be able to support and sign post people to relevant educational opportunities and give simple, supportive career advice. This is an exciting time in the world of Allergy education and we very much hope you will step forward and become part of the BAEN vision and help to raise the standard of allergy education for all healthcare professionals who care for patients with allergy. Hopefully see you at the Allergy Education Showcase session next year too! For more information visit the website www.bsaci.org/education-and-events/bsacinational-allergy-education-strategy

Hospital education strategy

Key target area (‘why’)

• Increase the number of HCPs who have recognized training and clinical expertise in allergy

Our aims (‘what’)

• Guidance on the breadth and level of allergy knowledge and clinical skills

HCPs are expected to attain and maintain

Our plan (‘how’)

• Access to accredited, evidence-based educational programmes and accredited national, local and online educational platforms • BSACI support educational activities • To establish a regional network of allergy education champions

Community education strategy

Key target area (‘why’)

• Support community workers to treat allergy across the life cycle

Our aims (‘what’)

• Empower system change, support population health, consider community context

Our plan (‘how’)

• Integrated care, networking, leadership, research, curricula, accessible resources

1. Vance G, Ludman S, Angier E, et al. Time to act to solve gaps in practice: The BSACI National Allergy Education Strategy. Clin Exp Allergy 2021;51(1):6-8.