Emergency care in general practice

Guidance Changes February 2026

Remote first aid training can help general practice teams meet the Care Quality Commission’s updated Emergency Care guidance (February 2026) by delivering role‑appropriate knowledge, standardising assessment, and providing auditable evidence of training while reducing disruption to clinical services.

Key requirements from the updated guidance that matter for training

• Immediate access to resuscitation equipment and drugs, and a reliable checking system for that equipment.
• Staff training for adults and children is appropriate to role, with clinical staff trained at least annually and evidence of approved training kept.
• Named resuscitation lead and local risk assessment covering patient groups, likely emergencies, ambulance response times and available skills.
• Competence in recognising deterioration (use of NEWS, pulse oximetry) and managing emergencies both in‑practice and on home visits.
• Appropriate emergency medicines and oxygen management, with clear storage and access arrangements.

How remote first aid training maps to those requirements

• Knowledge and decision skills — e‑learning modules can teach recognition of cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, hypoglycaemia, seizures, and when to start CPR or call for help; modules can include NEWS and pulse oximetry interpretation. This provides the baseline knowledge and guidance required.
• Standardised assessment and records — online assessments and certificates create auditable evidence of completed, role‑specific training for CQC inspections.
• Role‑based pathways — tailor content for clinical staff (defibrillation, drug administration, oxygen use) and non‑clinical staff (recognition, summoning help, basic CPR). This supports the guidance that training be appropriate to role.
• Blended learning for psychomotor skills — remote theory plus short, scheduled in‑person practical sessions (AED use, pocket mask, bag – valve ‑mask ventilation, intramuscular injections) preserves hands‑on competence while minimising time away from clinics.
• Scenario‑based remote simulation — virtual simulations and video‑based case reviews improve decision-making for deteriorating patients and remote triage, supporting safe remote consultations and home‑visit planning.

Recommended components for a compliant general practice

• Core e‑modules: CPR and AED theory; recognition of cardiac arrest; anaphylaxis; hypoglycaemia; seizures; opioid overdose and naloxone; oxygen and pulse oximetry basics; NEWS overview.
• Role‑specific modules: emergency medicines handling and legal authority (PGDs/PSDs); oxygen cylinder safety; safe storage and replacement procedures.
• Practical skills sessions: short in‑person or on‑site workshops for AED use, bag‑mask ventilation, intramuscular injections, and use of paediatric pads. Schedule these at least annually for clinical staff.
• Assessment and evidence: online quizzes, video‑observed practical sign‑offs, and downloadable certificates stored in staff files for CQC review.
• Governance tools: delivering training based on the local risk assessment, which supports the named resuscitation lead.

Practical implementation plan for a GP practice

1. Assign/reaffirm resuscitation lead — explicit: training oversight, equipment checks, medicines governance.
2. Risk assessment and gap analysis — resuscitation lead completes a local risk assessment against the CQC checklist.
3. Deploy curriculum — roll out core e‑modules to all staff with role tags and deadlines; require completion evidence.
4. Schedule practical sessions — book short hands‑on sessions for clinical staff and any non‑clinical staff with patient contact.
5. Audit and record — implement weekly equipment checks, medicine expiry logs, and an annual training audit to produce evidence for inspection.

Quick checklist to show CQC readiness

• The named resuscitation lead documented.
• Local risk assessment completed and stored.
• All staff completed role‑appropriate e‑modules with certificates on file.
• Clinical staff have an annual practical sign‑off for AED and airway skills.
• Emergency medicines and oxygen are accessible and logged; equipment checks are documented weekly.

Remote First Aid, Supporting in-house general practice

Can provide regulated training for named resuscitation leads so that they can deliver recognised BLS and ILS training for clinical settings in-house. Thus reducing costs and times, while Remote First Aid provides certification support, LMS elements for certification records.

Our expert team can support and build your general practice’s Emergency care plan to meet the new CQC guidelines 2026. This includes delivering training on-site, providing recognised CPD-certified online learning with assessment, and much more.