ABOUT OXBLOX
Teaching regional anaesthesia in Oxford and the Thames Valley
OxBlox is a regional anaesthesia teaching programme based in Oxford, bringing together clinicians with an interest in ultrasound, anatomy and practical regional anaesthesia education.
Our teaching is built around hands-on learning: small-group scanning, practical skills, close faculty supervision and discussion of how regional anaesthesia works in real clinical practice. We aim to help clinicians develop from recognising sonoanatomy and performing core techniques through to more advanced regional anaesthesia.
OUR STORY
From evening teaching sessions to an expanding regional programme
OxBlox has evolved considerably over the past few years.
In 2021, the current committee inherited a programme of one-hour evening sessions, led by anaesthetic registrars with consultant support and focused on ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia.
To widen access and allow more time for practical teaching, SonoClub moved to half-day sessions in 2022. From 2023, the programme became increasingly consultant-led and consultant-delivered, while retaining the practical and informal teaching style at its core.
In 2024, SonoClub delivered its first major all-day course. This allowed us to broaden both the teaching programme and the faculty, drawing on regional anaesthesia expertise from beyond Oxford.
Since then, SonoClub has continued to grow in scale and scope. Our programme now spans core and advanced regional anaesthesia, live ultrasound scanning and, for the first time, cadaveric anatomy teaching with an international expert faculty.
Throughout that evolution, the aim has remained the same: to make high-quality regional anaesthesia teaching practical, accessible and enjoyable.
MEET THE SONOCLUB TEAM
Dr Nicolas Suarez
Consultant Anaesthetist, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Nick is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Oxford University Hospitals and leads the regional anaesthesia service and Regional Anaesthesia Special Interest Area. He has a longstanding interest in regional anaesthesia education, course development and widening access to high-quality training. He contributes to SonoClub’s teaching programme and the development of regional anaesthesia training across Oxford.
Regional anaesthesia · Education · Training
Dr Peter Chater-Lea
Consultant Anaesthetist, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Peter is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Oxford University Hospitals and a longstanding member of the Oxford SonoClub organising and teaching faculty. He has contributed to the development and delivery of SonoClub’s practical regional anaesthesia teaching, including its larger multidisciplinary regional anaesthesia courses.
Regional anaesthesia · Practical education
Dr Eric Huy Nguyen
Consultant Anaesthetist, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Eric is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Oxford University Hospitals with specialist interests in regional anaesthesia and complex airway management. He holds the European Diploma of Regional Anaesthesia and a postgraduate qualification in medical simulation. An experienced educator and co-director of Oxford SonoClub, he is particularly interested in improving training and expanding patient access to regional anaesthesia techniques.
Regional anaesthesia · Airway management · Simulation & education
Dr Joanna Cudlipp
Consultant Anaesthetist, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Joanna is a Consultant Anaesthetist with interests in orthopaedics, trauma and regional anaesthesia. She leads regional anaesthesia education at OUH and co-directs Oxford SonoClub. A Fellow of both the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Higher Education Academy, she has received University of Oxford awards recognising her contribution to education and collaborative teaching.
Regional anaesthesia · Trauma & orthopaedics · Medical education
Dr Mariam Latif
Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Mariam is a Consultant with specialist interests in pain medicine, paediatric regional anaesthesia and sustainable perioperative care. She teaches regional anaesthesia nationally and internationally, including with RA-UK, BuckUSGRA, Oxford SonoClub and BabyBlocks. Her interests include using regional techniques to improve recovery and reduce opioid exposure, alongside work in multimodal analgesia, complex cancer pain and sustainable anaesthetic practice.
Pain medicine · Paediatric regional anaesthesia · Sustainability
Dr Libby Yates
Consultant Anaesthetist, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Libby is a Consultant Anaesthetist with specialist interests in regional anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia and airway management. She is a Course Director for Oxford SonoClub and contributes to regional anaesthesia education across the Thames Valley and nationally. She has completed fellowships in regional anaesthesia and paediatric critical care and transfer, and is involved in teaching, quality improvement and research.
Regional anaesthesia · Paediatric anaesthesia · Airway management
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!