Principles of a Training Capacity Assessment

Published 15/07/2025

Step 2: Evaluating Your Current Workforce

The 2021 ICM Curriculum defines three stages of training, outlining the knowledge, skills, and experience that Intensivists in Training must acquire over an indicative seven-year period (full-time equivalent). These training outcomes are achieved and assessed in a variety of settings, including but not limited to intensive care units, operating theatres, inpatient wards, radiology and emergency departments, as well as out-of-hospital environments, such as critical care transfer services. 

A key strength of Intensive Care Medicine is its diverse cohort of IiTs, drawn from a variety of core programmes such as Acute Care Common Stem, Anaesthesia and Internal Medicine Training. These doctors are therefore at different stages of both clinical experience and ICM training with their supervision requirements based on their prior experience. These supervision requirements should be regularly reviewed and assessed with the Faculty Tutor to ensure appropriate support as they progress through the curriculum. A unit’s ability to deliver effective supervision, whilst also ensuring that the curriculum’s needs are met must be prioritised when evaluating whether additional training capacity exists. 

Beyond IiTs, it is also essential to assess the unit’s ability to support all learners across the multidisciplinary team. This includes ACCPs, SAS doctors, locally employed doctors (LEDs) and others, reflecting the broader move toward a multiprofessional substantive critical care workforce.