Re-submission: first attempt candidates need only repeat the station at which they did not pass in the first attempt. Re-submission candidates receive reserved spaces at the next available assessment. Cancellations with less than one week's notice (7 calendar days or less) will be classed as a no-show and automatically fail. The user-friendly portal will replace the time-consuming process of printing and manually anonymising reports. All candidates can now take advantage of the online logbook portal to upload their 250 reports and anonymise these online. In 2017 we joined forces with Pearson Vue to deliver our exams at localised Pearson Vue across the UK, republic of Ireland and some overseas areas. From 2020 we went a step further due to the pandemic and introduced online proctored exams, allowing candidates to sit the exam from home. Level I accreditation allows rapid bedside echocardiographic assessment of the acutely unwell patient and was launched in April 2018 in response to and in anticipation of the Department of Health mandate for 24/7 provision of emergency echo services. Following successful completion, accreditation is valid for five years.

Requests must include the type of accreditation (e.g Level 1, TTE, TOE, Stress, Critical Care etc) and membership number. Standard accommodations and special requirements (such as requiring extra time or a need for a separate room) can be requested for written and practical exams The accreditation process comprises a logbook component of 75 cases collected over a period of 12 months and demonstrating a range of acute pathology, followed by an assessment process which aims to assess technical ability, experience and image interpretation. Assessments are carried out at designated exam days held twice a year, with three stations to assess the logbook, scanning and reporting components. Similarly, our protocols help establish step-by-step procedures for performing roles within the echocardiography field, offering an advanced resource that can be beneficial across the board. Our protocols present minimum datasets for newly presenting patients, views and measurements needed for comprehensive studies in a variety of pathologies. They have been formatted to include text, images and video clips, making them much more engaging and efficient to absorb.Our guidelines are rooted in best practice, and focus on areas where there is clinical ambiguity and the greatest opportunity for impact. Clinical guidelines help to support evidence-based practice in echocardiography, and all guidelines can be found in the ECHO journal. The BSE Education Committee recently produced guidelines on performing a comprehensive TOE examination. It is recognised that it may not be possible to acquire all the recommended views in all patients. In particular, there are certain probe positions that may be poorly tolerated in awake patients. Cases must be submitted as digital loops and stills within a Powerpoint presentation or uploaded onto www.bsecho.org when this facilty becomes available. Reports should include quantitative measurements, observations, summary and conclusion.

This new BSE accreditation route is endorsed by the BCCA and aims to improve standards of echocardiography in patients with congenital heart disease.

Accreditation at a glance

The British Society of Echocardiography is delighted to announce the launch of a new accreditation for congenital heart disease (CHD). Candidates who successfully complete all three stations will be deemed to have passed the Accreditation process. Certificates and badges will be issued on the day. Ms Jan Forster, Consultant Congenital Sonographer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and representative of the Congenital Heart Disease Accreditation Working Group, said “We are all aware of the growing numbers of patients with CHD that are now in our adult clinics due to the surgical success and medical management of patients with congenital cardiac lesions. We hope that this accreditation will ensure that echocardiographers have the underpinning knowledge required to confidently scan patients with congenital heart disease.”