Attending the SAAD National Course provides knowledge and skills training, however on its own, it is not sufficient training for you to provide sedation independently. As a new starter, unless you have completed a university or deanery (HEE) run training scheme, in order to comply with the training requirements of the IACSD Standards (April 2015, 2020), you would also need to complete supervised clinical practice either as part of a STAC accredited training scheme such as the SAAD Assessed Sedationist (SAS) scheme, or with a STAC approved supervisor.

It is possible to register for the SAS scheme up to four weeks after attending the National Course. The SAAD National Course has provided the knowledge and skills training, in order to complete your sedation training, in accordance with the training requirements of the IACSD Standards (April 2015), you now need to complete supervised clinical practice with a STAC approved supervisor. There are further details of how a supervisor can apply for approval from STAC on the RCSEng website.

The SAAD training scheme does not include provision of clinical supervisors and SAAD is not able to provide a list of suitable supervisors. This is because SAAD can only approve supervisors for a named individual, registered for the SAS scheme, at a named sedation facility.

The SAS scheme is a STAC accredited training scheme. This accreditation allows SAAD to approve supervisors for a named individual, registered for the SAS scheme, at a named sedation facility. The approval is specific and not transferable. In order to supervise you, your principal could apply for STAC approval. There are further details of how a supervisor can apply for approval form STAC on the RCSEng website.

It is possible to register for the SAS scheme up to four weeks after attending the National Course. It is necessary for the details of the nominated supervisor(s) to be submitted at the time of registration and the supervised clinical experience portfolio submitted within twelve months of attending the National Course.

The SAAD National Course provides the knowledge and skills training for both IHS and IVS, and the written assessment for the SAS scheme will also cover both techniques. However it is acceptable for the supervised clinical practice to be for one or both techniques (10 IHS cases and/or 20 IVS cases). Your certificate of completion will name the sedation technique for which you have completed supervised clinical practice.

Since your previous experience is with IVS and not IHS, you would be considered as a ‘new starter’ for IHS. As a new starter, in order to comply with the training requirements of the IACSD Standards (April 2015), you would need to complete a STAC accredited training scheme such as the SAAD Assessed Sedationist (SAS) scheme before you can independently provide IHS for your patients.