ILS or eILS: which Immediate Life Support course should you book?

By PLAB Guide Training Centre Updated 25 October 2026 3 min read

Nurse giving chest compressions on an adult resuscitation manikin while a colleague attaches defibrillator pads, with an e-learning laptop in the foreground

If you are booking an ILS course in Manchester, you have two options at PLAB Guide Training Centre in Levenshulme: the full-day, face-to-face Immediate Life Support (ILS) course, or the blended eILS course, which pairs online learning with a shorter practical session. Both are Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) courses, and both lead to the RCUK ILS Provider certificate.

The difference is how you spend your time. This guide sets out what each route involves so you can choose the one that suits your work pattern.

ILS and eILS at a glance

  Full-day ILS Blended eILS
Format Face-to-face, one full day RCUK e-learning, then a half-day practical
Time at the centre 09:00–17:00 14:00–18:00
Price £155 + VAT £138 + VAT
Certificate RCUK ILS Provider RCUK ILS Provider
Next date Monday 9 November 2026, PLAB Guide Training Centre Friday 4 December 2026, PLAB Guide Training Centre

Prices exclude VAT, which is added at 20% at checkout. The booking page always shows the current fee.

What both courses cover

The content and the standard are the same. On either route you learn to:

  • recognise and respond to a deteriorating adult patient
  • manage the airway and give ventilation
  • deliver high-quality CPR and use a defibrillator safely
  • identify cardiac arrest rhythms and follow the adult advanced life support algorithm
  • look for and treat reversible causes
  • work as part of a resuscitation team, communicate clearly and hand over

Assessment is continuous. Your instructors watch you in skills stations and simulated cardiac arrest scenarios throughout the practical session.

Choose the full-day ILS course if

  • you learn best with an instructor in the room from the start
  • you would rather not complete theory online in your own time
  • you want more hands-on practice time on the day
  • you can take a full day away from work

See the full-day ILS course in Manchester for the timetable, entry requirements and dates.

Choose blended eILS if

  • you are comfortable working through RCUK e-learning before the course
  • a half-day practical fits your rota better than a full day
  • you want the lower fee
  • you would like to add paediatric training on the same day: ePILS runs 09:00–13:00, before the eILS afternoon, and the two together cost £233 + VAT instead of £276 + VAT

For eILS you need an RCUK account and your professional body details when you book. You receive the printed ILS manual, which you can collect or have posted. Final-year students may be eligible. The e-learning takes about two to four hours of focused work. Complete it before your practical session.

See the blended eILS course in Manchester for full details.

Which one do employers accept?

Both routes award the same RCUK ILS Provider certificate. If your employer or training programme asks for "ILS", either course meets that requirement. The certificate is valid for one year, whichever route you take.

Training as a team?

We run ILS for groups at our Levenshulme centre and on site for NHS trusts, GP practices and other employers across Greater Manchester. Email training@plabguide.co.uk or call 0161 564 6162.

Upcoming ILS course dates in Manchester

ILS – Immediate Life Support | Full day| RCUK

Monday 9 November 2026 Next course

09:00 – 17:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 10 days

6 places available
£155

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 4 December 2026

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 35 days

4 places available
£138

ILS – Immediate Life Support | Full day| RCUK

Monday 7 December 2026

09:00 – 17:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 38 days

6 places available
£155

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 1 January 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 9 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 5 February 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 14 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 5 March 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 18 weeks

6 places available
£138
Show 7 more dates

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 2 April 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 22 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 7 May 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 27 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 4 June 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 31 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 2 July 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 35 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 6 August 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 40 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 3 September 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 44 weeks

6 places available
£138

e-ILS | Online + Half-Day | RCUK

Friday 1 October 2027

14:00 – 18:00PLAB Guide Training CentreStarts in 48 weeks

6 places available
£138

Choosing a date takes you straight to booking with that date selected.

Looking after children as well as adults? Our ePILS course runs on the same Fridays as eILS, in the morning, so you can book both for £233 + VAT and leave with RCUK adult and paediatric immediate life support certificates from one day at the centre.