Contact information
BIOGRAPHY:
I studied medicine at the University of Oxford, and subsequently trained in anaesthesia in Birmingham and Oxford. I now practise as an NHS consultant in the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with roles in education and simulation. Throughout my training and consultant career I have developed a strong interest in the provision of safe anaesthesia in low-income settings, with current / previous commitments to several clinical, training and research projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
Hilary Edgcombe
BM, BCh (Oxon), FRCA (Lon), MSc Global Health (KCL)
Consultant Anaesthetist
Research and training in global anaesthesia
AREAS OF INTEREST
- The anaesthetic workforce network in low-resource settings
- Training in global anaesthesia
- Co-director of the Global Anaesthesia Course, Oxford/Uganda
Safe anaesthesia is a clear prerequisite for safe surgery worldwide. Billions remain unable to access life-saving operations: an important contributor to this problem is a lack of reliable anaesthetic services.
My previous work focused on the experience of non-physician anaesthesia providers in sub-Saharan Africa, exploring how well their training prepares them for practice and the nature of their professional networks. I was also clinical lead for the LIFE project (with team members from Kenya, the Centre for Tropical Medicine and the Department of Education in Oxford), developing novel smartphone-based training tools for health workers in low-resource settings between 2016 and 2022. I am now developing research in the relevance of networks to the anaesthesia workforce in low-resource contexts, collaborating with researchers in Western Kenya and the Health Systems Collaborative in the NDM.
Key publications
Anesthesia Provider Training and Practice Models
Journal article
Law TJ. et al, (2019), Anesthesia & Analgesia, 1 - 1
Training non-physician anaesthetists in sub-Saharan Africa: a qualitative investigation of providers' perspectives
Journal article
EDGCOMBE H. et al, (2019), BMJ Open
Enhancing emergency care in low-income countries using mobile technology-based training tools
Journal article
English M., (2016), Archives of Disease in Childhood
Recent publications
International Consensus on Global Surgery Learning Objectives and Competencies.
Journal article
Hilzenrat RA. et al, (2025), Ann Surg
Communication Between Anaesthesia Providers for Clinical and Professional Purposes: A Scoping Review.
Journal article
Edgcombe H. et al, (2025), Anesthesiol Res Pract, 2025
Social resource as a critical and overlooked factor for patient safety in low-resource settings.
Journal article
Edgcombe H. et al, (2025), Front Health Serv, 5
Next-generation virtual and augmented reality in surgical education: a narrative review
Journal article
Sheik-Ali S. et al, (2025), The Royal College of Radiologists Open, 3
Non-physician anaesthesia providers' perspectives on task sharing practices in Zambia and Somaliland: a qualitative study.
Journal article
Karydi KI. et al, (2024), BMJ Open, 14
Priorities for content for a short-course on postoperative care relevant for low- and middle-income countries: an e-Delphi process with training facilitators.
Journal article
Postoperative Short Course Content Study group ., (2022), Anaesthesia, 77, 570 - 579
Lessons from the design, development and implementation of a three-dimensional (3D) neonatal resuscitation training smartphone application: Life-saving Instruction for Emergencies (LIFE app).
Journal article
Wanyama C. et al, (2022), Adv Simul (Lond), 7
Attitudes Of Healthcare Workers In Low-Resource Settings To Mobile Virtual Reality Simulations For Newborn Resuscitation Training – A Report From The eHBB/mHBS Study
Conference paper
Umoren RA. et al, (2021), Pediatrics, 147, 229 - 230
Attitudes Of Healthcare Workers In Low-Resource Settings To Mobile Virtual Reality Simulations For Newborn Resuscitation Training – A Report From The eHBB/mHBS Study
Conference paper
Umoren RA. et al, (2021), 229 - 230
Review of anaesthesia workforce composition in charitable organisations
Conference paper
Kudsk-Iversen S. and Edgcombe H., (2021), ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA, 133, 727 - 728