Background and Aims Regional anaesthesia has proven its role in providing superior perioperative analgesia compared to systemic opioids. The advent of ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia has heralded rapid growth in new block techniques, which could widen the gap between regional anaesthesia enthusiasts and generalists, who may perceive regional anaesthesia as becoming increasingly complex [1]. We organised a Block-of-the-week (BOTW) teaching programme to allow greater accessibility to regional anaesthesia.

Methods BOTW is an educational initiative by a group of trainees with an interest in regional anaesthesia. Each session, held fortnightly, focuses on a pre-determined technique with the aim of encouraging confidence in performing blocks, especially the plan A nerve blocks recommended in the training curriculum. We incorporated various teaching methods and materials including a pre-session two-page information sheet, relevant video links and live scanning practice.

Results We collected feedback using 5-point Likert scales. 77.2% found the pre-session materials helpful and 95.4% found the practical session useful, scoring >3 out of 5.Prior to the sessions, 90.6% did not feel confident in performing regional anaesthesia. After the sessions, 81.8% of the participants felt more confident, scoring 3 out of 5, and will consider performing regional anaesthesia in their clinical practice.

Conclusions Regular exposure at local departmental teachings using various teaching methods allows anaesthetists at all levels of training to become more confident in integrating these techniques into clinical practice. We hope to cultivate interest in this area among anaesthetists in our department, moving away from a niche subspecialty to a core component of anaesthetic care, available to all [1].