Which Edition CPG am I using?

PHECC has been producing CPGs (originally called SOPs) since its inception in 2001. Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) became a legal entity following the signing of Statutory Instrument (SI) 575 of 2004, The PreHospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order 2000 (Amendment) Order 2004.


PHECC has launched the 3rd Edition Version 2 CPGsinDecember 2011. Theprinciple catalyst for this updated version was the publication of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) Guidelines 2010. Research and operational experience has led to other CPGs being updated also.

The publication of new or updated CPGs has led to changes in practice. The authorisation of infant defibrillation, the ‘End of Life – DNR’ which gives guidance to practitioners in relation to end of life management of patients and advanced airway management for CFR – Advanced are examples of such changes.

An issue that has emerged in relation to the publication of updated or new CPGs is the absence of a structured time framefor organisations to implement the new practices. Some CPG approved organisations are proactive in this regard, however others are lagging behind.

All practitioners, at the same clinical level, who are on the PHECC register are therefore not practicing the optimumcare for patients. A practitioner who is employed primarily by a statutory service, working part time for a private company and volunteering for a voluntary organisation could potentially be operating from three different CPGs.		   The publication of the 3rd Edition Version 2 CPGs has compound thissituation further as the range of practice has now extended over three CPG publications.

The scope of practice of a practitioner should be the same regardless of organisation or geographical location.PHECC, however, is cognisance of a lead in/ training time when new or updatedCPGs are published.

To give clear direction to pre-hospital emergency care service providers, who are approved to implement CPGs, Council has implemented a new policy.

The essential details of the policy are that within eighteen months of issue of a new or updated CPG all practitioners and responders must be updated and that the previous version of the CPG will be withdrawn.

See below for the details of the Council Policy 

Extract from Establishment Order S.I. No 109 of 2000 / Amendment Order S.I. No 575 of 2004

“(o) prepare clinical practice guidelines for pre-hospital emergency care and make such guidelines available to pre-hospital emergency care service providers and such other persons as it may consider appropriate.”

Council Policy: Implementation timeframes of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) 

  • Within six months of approval by Council of this policy; 
    • 2nd Edition CPGs shall be withdrawn, and
    • Organisations not approved for 3rd Edition CPG shall be delisted as approved organisations.
  • New or updated CPGs shall be published biannually (April and October) by Council on the PHECC website. Should an issue of patient safety emerge a special release of the appropriate CPG shall occur outside these dates.
  • Following the publication of new or updated CPGs;
    • CPG approved organisations shall ensure, within eighteen months, that 99% of practitioners acting on their behalf are updated. This criterion will be added to the PHECC requirements of CPG approved organisations.
    • New or updated practices may be initiated by practitioners once competent.
    • Previous versions of the updated CPGs shall, following an eighteen month period, be withdrawn.
  • Practitioners shall be required to complete updating of new or updated CPGs within eighteen months of publication:
    • as part of continuous professional competence, and
    • in order to re-register with PHECC.

Version History: Version 1, Date 10 May 2012,Details Approved by Council