TL;DR: The King-Patterson Revision Notes for the FRCEM series (Volumes 1 and 2) is currently the only self-published two-volume textbook mapped chapter-by-chapter to the RCEM 2021 curriculum for the FRCEM SBA. It is dense, syllabus-complete and written by a UK EM consultant who clearly knows what the exam asks. Early-buyer reviews on Amazon UK are strong for Volume 1 (4.7/5, small sample) and more mixed for Volume 2 (around 3.8/5, very small sample). Best use case: a single structured textbook for candidates who want one book per topic instead of stitching together RCEMLearn, podcasts and TERN posts. Not a question bank — you still need RCEMLearn SBAs and a paid question bank alongside it.
EM Final Exams earns no commission on the products reviewed below. The only product we sell is EMF Premium, disclosed wherever it appears in the comparison.
Quick decision matrix
| Candidate type | Recommended | Cheaper alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Visual learner who wants notes | King-Patterson Revision Notes | Tom Jaconelli FRCEM |
| Time-poor candidate | King-Patterson + qbank | Pure qbank-only approach |
| Re-sitter targeting weak SLOs | King-Patterson by chapter | Targeted RCEM Learning sessions |
| Budget under £30 | Borrow King-Patterson | Free RCEM Learning + Anki |
| Already owns a textbook | Skip King-Patterson | Use existing text + qbank |
Disclosure: I have not sat the FRCEM SBA with these books in hand. This review is based on the publisher’s contents pages, the published syllabus mapping, Amazon UK reviewer feedback, and Reddit discussion on r/doctorsUK. Where I have not personally verified something, I say so. See also our guide to the best FRCEM SBA question bank for 2026.
What exactly are the King-Patterson Revision Notes?
Two self-published paperback (and Kindle) volumes written by Dr Barnaby GOK King-Patterson, a UK consultant in Emergency Medicine and founder of the small EM-focused imprint FlyteX. Both volumes were released on 27 February 2025 and are aimed squarely at the FRCEM SBA — the written Single Best Answer paper sat by higher EM trainees in the UK before they progress to the OSCE.
- Volume 1 — ISBN 979-8312445305, around 806 pages, ~£46 paperback.
- Volume 2 — ISBN 979-8312464993, around 823 pages, ~£41–47 paperback.
- Companion (not strictly the same product): The FRCEM OSCE Handbook, 125 stations, published 30 January 2026 (ISBN 979-8246174159), aimed at the FRCEM Final OSCE rather than the SBA.
The two SBA volumes are explicitly designed to be used together: Volume 1 covers the alphabetical first half of the curriculum, Volume 2 picks up where it leaves off. Buying only one will leave large topic gaps.
Who wrote it and why does that matter?
Dr Barnaby King-Patterson lists himself as a Consultant Emergency Physician and FRCEM Fellow on LinkedIn, with a side interest in AI and clinical reasoning systems. The books are not published by Oxford University Press, BMJ Learning or the RCEM — they are independently published through Amazon’s KDP platform and sold under his FlyteX imprint.
That has two practical implications worth being honest about:
- Pro: Single-author voice. The pacing, emphasis and exam-style framing stay consistent across every chapter — a known weakness of older multi-author EM textbooks where one chapter is gold and the next is a slog.
- Con: No external editorial board, no peer-reviewed errata process, and no built-in update cycle. If RCEM tweaks the curriculum or a guideline changes, you are relying on the author to push a new edition.
What does it actually cover?
Between them, the two volumes are designed to map directly onto the RCEM 2021 curriculum and the SLOs assessed in the SBA paper.
Volume 1 chapters: Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, ENT, Elderly Care, Endocrinology, Environmental Emergencies, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Haematology, Toxicology & Pharmacology, Sepsis, Infectious Disease & Public Health, Maxillofacial Surgery, Mental Health, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Nephrology.
Volume 2 chapters: Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Oncological Emergencies, Ophthalmology, Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Respiratory EM, Sexual and Intimate Emergencies, Surgical Emergencies, Paediatric EM, Resuscitation, Point of Care Ultrasound, Anaesthesia & Pain Management, Leading the ED Shift, Critical Appraisal & Other Elements, Serious Adverse Event Investigation Tools.
The Volume 2 description on Amazon explicitly states the content is aligned to SLO1, SLO3, SLO4, SLO6, SLO10 and SLO11 — meaning you get the non-clinical SBA content (critical appraisal, governance, leadership) too, not just disease-focused chapters. Many older FRCEM revision books skip this entirely, and candidates have been burned by it.
What is the format like to actually read?
Reviewers consistently describe the prose as note-style and dense rather than narrative — think structured bullet headings and tables rather than essay-style chapters. One verified UK reviewer captures the experience well: “this book has the sort of minute detail that is required at FRCEM on everything from O&G to surgical emergencies and oncology… they’re so detailed that I can only fit one in my backpack at a time.”
The Kindle edition reports a file size of around 14 MB and a digital length of 1,209 “pages” for Volume 2 alone, which suggests heavy formatting (likely tables, figures and decision tools) rather than pure prose. If you prefer a clean text reflow on an e-reader, the paperback is probably the better buy. If you read on phone or iPad, the Kindle is fine but expect occasional layout quirks typical of self-published medical Kindle books.
How does it compare to the alternatives?
| Resource | Format | Strength | Weakness | Approx UK cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King-Patterson Vol 1 + 2 | 2-volume paperback / Kindle | Full SBA syllabus, single voice, current (Feb 2025) | Self-published, small reviewer sample, no question bank | ~£85–95 for the pair |
| RCEMLearn | Online modules + SBAs | Free with RCEM membership, official mapping | No single textbook arc, you have to assemble it | Included in RCEM membership |
| Oxford Revision Notes for the FRCEM Primary (Harrison) | Paperback / VitalSource | OUP edited, well referenced | Aimed at Primary, not the SBA — wrong exam for most readers here | ~£45 |
| St Emlyn’s blog & podcast | Free web/audio | Genuinely current, UK EM voice | Episodic — not a structured syllabus | Free |
| RCEMQ / Pastest / FRCEM Success | Online question banks | Exam-format SBA practice | Not a textbook; quality varies by provider | ~£100–£250 per subscription |
The honest verdict: King-Patterson is not competing with RCEMLearn or with question banks — it complements them. It is competing with the older multi-author Oxford EM books and with the idea of revising entirely from blogs and notes apps.
Pros and cons at a glance
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Genuinely covers the full SBA syllabus including non-clinical SLOs | Self-published — no external editorial layer or formal errata |
| Single author voice; consistent depth across chapters | Volume 2 has a noticeably lower star average (~3.8) than Volume 1 (~4.7) on Amazon UK |
| Released February 2025 — maps to the current RCEM 2021 curriculum | Very small reviewer sample sizes; star ratings should be read with caution |
| Available as Kindle as well as paperback | Not a question bank — you still need RCEMLearn SBAs and ideally a paid bank |
| Reddit r/doctorsUK feedback in late 2025 explicitly recommends both volumes for SBA prep | Heavy formatting can render awkwardly on Kindle; paperbacks are brick-sized |
| Author also produces an FRCEM Final OSCE Handbook if you stay in the same ecosystem later | Combined cost of both volumes is ~£85–£95, more than a year of RCEMLearn-only revision |
What are real candidates saying?
The honest answer in May 2026: not many people have reviewed these books yet. The 1p19ebb thread on r/doctorsUK is currently the most useful peer signal. The original poster failed the FRCEM SBA on a first attempt and asked what resources actually worked. The top advice mentioning these books read: “the ‘revision notes for the FRCEM’ volumes 1 & 2 by Dr king-patterson really useful, covers the whole syllabus and it focuses on the parts with the highest yield.”
That is one peer-to-peer recommendation — useful, but a single Reddit comment, not a chorus. Amazon UK verified-purchase reviewers for Volume 1 include phrases like “Amazing! I WISH I’d had this earlier!” and “Everything I need in one place. Invaluable, knowledgeable and timely”, while Volume 2 attracted a strong UK review of “Incredibly useful! A definite BUY for an A&E Reg…” alongside lower-star reviews that pull the average down. We could not locate any independent YouTube review video as of May 2026.
Bottom line: the early signal is positive but thin. Treat it as a promising new textbook rather than a proven institution like Tintinalli or Rosen’s. See also our guide to our Tom Jaconelli FRCEM book review. See also our guide to Tintinalli vs Rosen for FRCEM SBA.
Who should buy it — and who shouldn’t?
Buy it if:
- You are sitting the FRCEM SBA in the next 6–12 months and want one structured textbook that maps to the current syllabus.
- You have already used RCEMLearn but want a single linear read-through to consolidate.
- You are a textbook learner and find blog-hopping draining.
- You re-sat after a fail and want to plug syllabus gaps you didn’t know you had.
Skip or delay if:
- You are still at MRCEM SBA level — the focus and pitch is FRCEM Higher.
- You are within four weeks of the exam and need pure question practice, not new reading.
- You prefer narrative-style textbooks (these are dense notes, not stories).
- Your budget is tight and you must choose between this and a question bank — a question bank usually beats a textbook in the final run-in.
How would I actually use this in a revision plan?
If I were building a six-month FRCEM SBA plan around these books, it would look roughly like:
- Months 1–3: Read Volume 1 chapter-by-chapter in parallel with the matching RCEMLearn modules. One chapter per week.
- Months 3–5: Same for Volume 2, including the critical appraisal and governance sections — do not skip these.
- Last 8 weeks: Switch to question-bank dominant revision. Use the books only as a lookup when a question reveals a knowledge gap.
- Final 2 weeks: Re-read your own highlighted sections only, plus the high-yield resuscitation, paediatrics, and toxicology chapters.
Recommended alternatives and add-ons
- RCEMLearn — free with RCEM membership; non-negotiable as the official mapped resource.
- A dedicated FRCEM SBA question bank (RCEMQ, FRCEM Success or similar) — essential in the final 6–8 weeks.
- St Emlyn’s blog & podcast — free, UK EM-focused, excellent for current evidence and exam-style reasoning.
- The FRCEM OSCE Handbook (same author, Jan 2026) — only relevant once you’ve passed the SBA and are sitting the Final OSCE.
FAQ
Are the King-Patterson FRCEM Revision Notes worth buying in 2026?
For FRCEM SBA candidates who want a syllabus-mapped textbook, yes — they are the most current single-author option available. For MRCEM SBA candidates or anyone in the last month of revision, less so.
Do I need both Volume 1 and Volume 2?
Yes. They are explicitly two halves of the SBA syllabus; buying only one will leave large gaps such as paediatrics, resuscitation, neurology, O&G or critical appraisal depending on which volume you skip.
Is there a Kindle version?
Yes, both volumes are available on Kindle as well as paperback on Amazon UK. The Kindle files are large and heavily formatted, so a tablet renders them better than a phone.
How does it compare to the Oxford Revision Notes for the FRCEM Primary?
They are different exams. The Oxford book (Harrison) targets the FRCEM Primary basic-sciences paper. King-Patterson targets the FRCEM SBA at higher trainee level. Most candidates here will want King-Patterson, not Harrison.
Does it cover the FRCEM OSCE?
No. The two SBA volumes are written for the SBA paper. The same author has published a separate FRCEM OSCE Handbook with 125 stations for the Final OSCE, which is a different book and a different buy.
Is this book endorsed by RCEM?
No. As of May 2026 it is an independently published title; it is not an official RCEM publication. The author is a Fellow of the College, but that is not the same as College endorsement.
Will it be enough on its own to pass the FRCEM SBA?
Almost certainly not. No textbook on its own is. Plan to combine it with RCEMLearn, a question bank, and exam-style practice in the final run-in.
How current is the content?
Both volumes were published on 27 February 2025, so they reflect the RCEM 2021 curriculum and 2024 guideline practice. There is no formal update cycle promised, so by 2027 expect some drift on time-critical topics such as sepsis bundles, ACS pathways and resuscitation guidance.
Where do I buy it in the UK?
Amazon UK is the primary route. The publisher’s own FlyteX page links straight through to Amazon for fulfilment. UK book retailers such as Waterstones list it too, but availability is intermittent.
Is the lower Volume 2 rating a red flag?
It is worth noting but not panic-worthy. Both volumes have very small review samples (fewer than 10 ratings each as of May 2026), so a single low review materially shifts the average. The qualitative feedback for both volumes is broadly positive.
What about a PDF copy?
The author does not publish an official PDF. Pirated PDFs occasionally circulate; we do not recommend them for obvious reasons — they harm a small independent author and you have no errata or update guarantee.
Verdict
For a UK Higher EM trainee staring down the FRCEM SBA in 2026, the King-Patterson Revision Notes are the most current syllabus-mapped textbook on the market. They will not magically pass the exam for you, the reviewer sample is still small, and they need pairing with a question bank — but as the single textbook around which to build a revision plan, they are a defensible buy. If you are not yet committed, start with Volume 1 alone, see whether the writing style suits you, and add Volume 2 once you know you’ll use it.
Facts last verified .
Next step: Browse the rest of our FRCEM SBA review guidance and study plans at emfinalexams.com.
Ready to build your plan? EMF Premium gives you all 40,000 questions and 20 mocks for £59 — one payment, six months' access.