COVID-19 Q&A: The surgeons’ dilemma

COVID-19 Q&A webinar series

COVID-19 Q&A: The surgeons’ dilemma

As the pandemic continues and the curve flattens, we are starting to look at the return of many surgical services, as highlighted in our guidance for recovery of surgical services during and after COVID-19. In order to facilitate elective surgery, it is important as ever for us to understand how COVID-19 is affecting surgical patients and how we can best assess the risks of operating on COVID-19 positive patients. You need to protect yourself, as well as provide safe and efficient patient care, but also to ensure that when surgery resumes, it does not have to stop again.

For the next instalment of our free webinar series on Wednesday 13 May, we will be joined by RCS Vice-President and President Elect, Professor Neil Mortensen, Miss Fiona Myint, RCS Council member, and Mr Henry Marsh, eminent neurosurgeon and author of Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery.

This session will look at the challenging issues and ethics that all clinicians are currently facing of when, how and if to treat patients who may carry the COVID-19 virus.

Why should you tune in?

Our panel will discuss a wide range of topics including: 

• the moral and ethical dilemmas we all may face in coming weeks;
• when is it reasonable to defer or delay surgery;
• decision making and managing shared responsibilities for patients and surgeons alike;
• coping with challenging leaders and disappointing outcomes
• a Q&A, providing you with the opportunity to ask any burning questions and raise any other key issues.

We want to ensure that we are supporting you and providing you with the most helpful information for yourself and your peers. Please get in touch with our events team with any questions or further topics you would like to be discussed during this session. 

For those unable to join the livestream on Wednesday, the recording will be made available on our COVID-19 webinar page.

Further resources available

• Our Confidential Support & Advice Service now has a 24/7 helpline for emotional support. Please make sure you are looking after yourselves, and know that we are here for you.
• Get involved with our COVID Research Group, bringing together a network of people to collaborate on a range of different COVID-19 specific research projects, all in the hope to find some answers to the unprecedented questions.
• Are you currently working out of scope? We have picked out key parts of our learning catalogue that will help support those stepping into new roles or returning to healthcare on the front line.
• Read our good practice guide that provides you with recommendations on adapting surgical services, working in extended scope of practice, caring for end-of-life patients and protecting the workforce.
• Find out about how you can write for our COVID-19 blog series, and share your story. We want to hear from you!
• Discover our COVID-19 hub, providing you with the latest news and an extensive list of resources to support you.