Accreditation and CPD awards

The highest level of accreditation is aimed at any provider, domestic or international, that offers a significant portfolio of surgical education and provides a kite mark of quality to all of their activity.

Centre Accreditation can be for NHS educational departments through to global commercial companies and everything in between. The training method can also be everything from traditional face-to-face learning through to Virtual Reality and e-learning.

Applications are reviewed against the Centre Accreditation standards.

Applications are made after an initial consultation with the QA and Accreditation team. If you are a commercial provider or a surgical education provider for a device then the process may differ. Please contact qa@rcseng.ac.uk in the first instance.

Centre Accreditation is subject to annual monitoring.

Accredited Centres

Please see our list of Accredited Centres.

This is aimed at short courses - either face-to-face or online - that run annually or several times a year.

Each course must meet the required Course Accreditation standards for educational content, teaching methods, aims and have appropriate learning outcomes.

Accredited courses are also awarded Continuing Professional Development (CPD) /CME points.

Applications are made on the Accreditation Portal or via returning an application form for face-to-face courses or online events to qa@rcseng.ac.uk.

Course Accreditation is subject to annual monitoring.

Accredited Courses

Please see our list of Accredited Courses.

We are keen to support the development of Higher Education Institution programmes for surgical trainees which enhance the knowledge and skills underpinning evidence-based clinical practice and research in surgery.

Having a programme accredited demonstrates that the programme meets the Programme Accreditation standards as defined by RCS England and that it offers a high-quality learning experience. Recognition of these factors may assist in attracting students

Applications are made on the Accreditation Portal.

Accredited Programmes

Please see our list of Accredited Programmes.

The inclusion of SCPs in the surgical team is essential to meet the evolving changes in healthcare. SCPs work independently in the surgical team with appropriate supervision, and complement the team’s workload to enable surgical trainees to have greater training opportunities.

Having an SCP programme accredited demonstrates that the programme meets the standards as defined by the RCS, and that it offers a high-quality learning experience. Recognition of these factors may assist in attracting students.

For more information please visit here.

The transition from senior trainee to consultant can be a challenging step. RCS England Senior Clinical Fellowships help bridge the gap. These peri-CCT Fellowships typically last for 12 months and are in a range of specialties. RCS England Senior Clinical Fellowships are jointly approved by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the appropriate Surgical Specialty Associations. The Fellowships normally focus on expert training in a sub-specialty, such as a knee, skull base, or bariatric surgery.

For more information and how to apply please visit here.

CPD events provide learning opportunities which play a key part in maintaining a knowledge base and performance throughout the surgeon’s working life. Gaining a minimum number of CPD points each year is one way in which surgeons in the UK are expected to comply with the GMC’s revalidation requirements. Typically, CPD points are for one-off events and are calculated as 1 point per 1 hour of educational activity.

Internationally, CPD points and CME credits are often used interchangeably. Typically, 1 CPD point would equate to 1 CME credit. Due to significant differences in national legislations regulating CPD/CME, we encourage non-UK participants to liaise directly with their respective national accreditation or revalidation bodies.

Applications are made on the Accreditation Portal or by returning an application form for either a face-to-face event or online event to qa@rcseng.ac.uk. Applications are reviewed against the CPD standards and should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event or risk being rejected. 

For support and guidance, you can read the Frequently Asked Questions or use the annotated application form for face-to-face CPD events. 

The following benefits apply to CPD awards:
- A review by leading surgeons
- A quality mark from a leading body for the accreditation of surgical education;
- Participants and speakers can use for their records;
- The use of the strapline ‘The Royal College of Surgeons of England has awarded up to x number of CPD points’ to enhance marketing materials and encourage participation;
- Listing on the RCS England Accreditation Portal (for non-accredited centres);
- Advertising discount with RCS England publications.

Please note that we do not provide the use of the RCS England logo for the purposes of the CPD award. Use of any other wording (e.g. “accreditation”, “affiliation” or “sponsored” etc…) is not permitted.

Activities awarded CPD points

A list of activities that have been awarded CPD points can be found here.