ILS was launched in 2002 as there was a demand from healthcare professionals to know the skills needed to respond in an emergency. It is now the most popular Resuscitation Council UK course, and around 100,000 people are trained in ILS every year.

ILS certification is recognised across the UK, the EU and Australia.

During the one-day course, you will develop the skills to:

  • recognise and treat the deteriorating patient using the ABCDE approach;
  • identify the causes and promote the prevention of cardiopulmonary arrest;
  • undertake the skills of quality CPR and defibrillation (manual and /or AED) and simple airway manoeuvres;
  • utilise non-technical skills to facilitate team leadership and effective team membership.

Who is the course for?

The ILS course is suitable for doctors, medical students, nurses, nursing students, midwives, paramedics and student paramedics, physiotherapists, dentistry professionals and other health and care professionals. It may also be suitable for fire service technicians, police personnel and prison officers.

This is a one-day course and will take place in a Course Centre. There are many Course Centres across the UK.

We use our evidence-based guidelines and cutting-edge research to create our courses. Courses are then delivered by members of our dedicated and highly skilled Instructor base. This guarantees that our courses are uniform, and the content remains the same across all our Course Centres.

Pre-course preparation:

Candidates receive their ILS manual two weeks before the start of the course. Candidates are expected to have prepared for the course by reading the manual. Some Centres may send Candidates a multiple-choice question (MCQ) paper to support Candidate learning.

Programme:

This course consists of lectures, skill stations and cardiac arrest simulations (CASTeach).

Download the full programme

Assessment and certification:

Assessment is continuous throughout the course and is guided by the assessment forms provided for each core skill. Copies of the assessment forms should be forwarded to the candidate with their manual.

Successful Candidates receive a Resuscitation Council UK ILS provider certificate, which is valid for one year. 

This course is recognised as continuing professional development (CPD) by the Medical, Dental and Nursing Royal Colleges and Health Care Professional Council. Please contact your registering body for further information.

The first step is to find a Course Centre near you. Below, you’ll find an area where you can search for local courses and find out how to get in touch with the organiser.

Course fees are decided locally by the Course Centre.

Advanced Life Support [ALS] course:

If you are a healthcare professional who would be expected to apply the skills taught as part of your clinical duties, or to teach them on a regular basis, you are eligible to participate on the ALS course. Appropriate applicants include doctors, nurses working in critical care areas (e.g. ED, CCU, ICU, HDU, operating theatres, acute medical admissions units), paramedics, ICU outreach teams or in the resuscitation/medical emergency team.


All applicants must hold a current clinical appointment and professional healthcare qualification or be in training for a professional healthcare qualification.


Medical students, student nurses and other healthcare providers not covered in the groups above should be encouraged to complete the Immediate Life Support [ILS] course. Those with a particular interest in resuscitation should then consider attending an ALS provider course, where appropriate. Medical students in their final year of training can be accepted as candidates on an ALS course if this is an established local arrangement


Advanced Resuscitation of Newborn Infant [ARNI] course:

You are eligible for the ARNI course if you hold a current RCUK Newborn Life Support provider certificate and are involved in care of the pre-term and sick newborn infants in a role more advanced than that of first responder. Candidates include specialist medical staff (ST3 level and above or about to commence a 2nd tier role), neonatal nurses with a qualification in the specialty or Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners. You may also be eligible for the ARNI course if you are an experienced paramedic working extensively with newborn transfer teams, a resuscitation officer with a significant regular newborn workload or an anaesthetist with a newborn or PICU practice.


European Paediatric Advanced Life Support [EPALS] course:

If you are a healthcare professional who would be expected to apply the skills taught as part of your clinical duties, or to teach them on a regular basis, you are eligible to undertake this course. Eligible participants include doctors, nurses or paramedics working in direct contact with children.


All applicants must hold a current clinical appointment and professional healthcare qualification or be in training for a professional healthcare qualification. Medical students, student nurses in their final year of training and other healthcare providers not covered in the groups above should be encouraged to complete the Paediatric Immediate Life Support [PILS] course. Those with a particular interest in the management of acute deterioration and resuscitation in children should then consider attending an EPALS provider course, where appropriate.


Medical students in their final year of training can be accepted as candidates on an EPALS course if this is an established local arrangement.


Focused Echocardiophay in Emergency Life Support [FEEL] course:

The FEEL course is intended for healthcare professionals who are involved in the care of the critically ill patient and does not require any previous echocardiography or ultrasound experience. FEEL is intended as an adjunct to the Advanced Life Support course and as such knowledge of the current ALS algorithm is required.


Generic Instructor Course [GIC]:

To attend a GIC course you must be recommend as having ‘Instructor Potential’ either on an RC (UK) course or one of the Advanced Life Support Group [ALSG] recognised courses e.g. APLS. Please follow the RC (UK) GIC link for further information.


Immediate Life Support [ILS] course:

If you are a doctor, medical student, nurse, nursing student, midwife, ODP, cardiac technician, resuscitation officer, healthcare provider (such as a physiotherapist, radiographer, occupational therapist), dental nurse, dentist, paramedic/ ambulance technician, healthcare assistant or nursing associates are eligible for this course. It may also be suitable for you if you are a fire service technician, police personnel prison officer or cabin crew.


Paediatric Immediate Life Support [PILS] course:

You are eligible to undergo the pILS course if you are a doctor, nurse, health visitor, school nurse, midwife, ODP, cardiac technician, resuscitation officer, medical student (final year), nursing student (final year), physiotherapist, dentist, dental nurse, ambulance technician/paramedic, healthcare assistant or nursing associate, occupational therapist, radiographer, fire service technician, police officer or cabin crew. The pILS course addresses the needs of staff who need more advanced skills than those taught during Basic Life Support [BLS], but who do not require the more comprehensive two-day European Paediatric Advanced Life Support [EPALS] course.


Newborn Life Support [NLS] course:

You are eligible for the NLS course if you are a healthcare professional who is regularly involved in the delivery and care of the newborn infant. This includes both junior and senior medical and nursing staff, midwives, paramedics and resuscitation officers. All applicants must hold a professional healthcare qualification or be in training for a professional healthcare qualification.

Category

Yes, CPD points are available according to the table below.  If you have any further queries regarding CPD points, please contact the Royal Colleges directly.


CPD points

Provider course 

Candidates 

Faculty 

ALS (two day course)

10

5 (max 10 in any one year)

e-ALS (one day course)

5

5 (max 10 in any one year)

ALS recertification (one day course)

5

5 (max 10 in any one year)

EPALS (2-day)

10

5 (max 10 in any one year)

NLS (one day course)

5

5 (max 10 in any one year)

ARNI (one day course)

10

5 (max 10 in any one year)

ILS (one day course)

5

5 (max 10 in any one year)

PILS (one day course

5

5 (max 10 in any one year)


For accreditation of other healthcare staff, please see ‘continuing professional development statement' in ‘related documents.’ 

Category

For more FAQs visit our online support system

Course Availability

You can book one of the many courses in the UK shown in the list below by contacting the Course Centre organiser. The cost for a Candidate place will vary based on the Course Centre.
GeoData » LatLong Pair
Within
miles of
Course centre town Course centre Organiser
Aylesbury NES Healthcare UK Course Admin
training@neshealthcare.co.uk
Banbury Ramsay Cherwell Hospital Horton Treatment Centre Course admin
urszula.pozarska@ramsayhealth.co.uk
Barnsley Barnsley Hospital Course Admin
bhnft.resuscitation@nhs.net
Belfast Kingsbridge Private Hospital Course Admin
info@kingsbridgetrainingacademy.com
Birmingham Birmingham Children's Hospital Course Admin
bwc.resusdepartment@nhs.net