New surgical skills training room at the Royal College of Surgeons of England HQ named after pioneer of modern endoscopy

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) has named its surgical skills training room, where trainee and consultant surgeons can practise their technical skills, after Karl Storz, who played a crucial role in the development of modern endoscopy. The KARL STORZ company, which Mr Storz founded in 1945, is now a global manufacturer and distributor of endoscopes, medical instruments, and devices.

The major investment into surgical training at the College will provide sponsorship and gift in kind goods and services for the next five years. The company, which specialises in minimally invasive surgery, has provided surgical equipment for the new centre and will support the delivery of courses. It has also provided endoscopic instruments for the newly refurbished Hunterian Museum, which re-opened in May 2023 after a five-year closure and £4.6 million development.  KARL STORZ is the first official ‘Founding Corporate Patron’ of the College, in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “Karl Storz, and the company he founded, played a crucial role in the development of modern endoscopy. The KARL STORZ company has helped millions of patients in the UK and around the world by developing medical instruments, such as endoscopes. These rigid or flexible optical devices can be connected to a camera to enable doctors to look inside patients’ bodies. 

“Surgeons cannot work in isolation, they need to have access to the latest technology and medical advances, for the benefit of their patients. This is why we are so thrilled to have formed this commercial partnership with KARL STORZ which will help us to deliver the latest cutting edge courses in surgery and surgical education.”

Andrew Reed, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “We are proud and delighted to have partnered with KARL STORZ to train, inspire and support the surgical profession across the UK and beyond. This commercial partnership is intended to support our shared interest and vision to advance surgical standards with the development and delivery of high-quality learning for safe surgery.”

Mike Perks, Managing Director of KARL STORZ Endoscopy (UK) Ltd, said: “We are delighted to support the KARL STORZ Training Room in the newly re-opened Royal College of Surgeons of England. This is the latest step in a long and very close relationship between the College and the STORZ family. We share a common bond and commitment to advancing the skills of tomorrow’s surgical community and it is totally fitting that the KARL STORZ Training Room should be dedicated to surgical skills enhancement. Before her retirement, Mrs Sybil Storz was delighted to have been honoured as a Patron of the College and will be equally thrilled that our cooperation and close working relationship is stronger now than ever. We are honoured to have our name so prominently connected to this august seat of clinical learning and in this impressive setting.” 

The Bjorn Saven Centre, RCS England’s Professional Surgical Centre, is a purpose-designed learning centre, in Lincoln’s Inn Fields – the heart of central London. It delivers high quality courses across surgical specialties and to the wider surgical team. It also provides a space to test and pilot new courses and innovative methods of training delivery for use at centres of excellence across the UK. This uses the College’s highly successful and established models of regional, blended and digital training delivery methods.

With the support of Founding Corporate Patrons, such as KARL STORZ, the College can fit learning and examination facilities with the latest equipment and technology and will future-proof these spaces for ongoing innovation and development. This will benefit both the surgical profession and patients who have to undergo life-changing and life-enhancing surgery.

The title of Founding Corporate Patron recognises a partnership between the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the luminaries within the industry that support the ever evolving discipline and vocation of surgery; and the endeavours of surgical teams across the world. As the first RCS England Founding Corporate Patron, KARL STORZ shares the College’s vision of new horizons for safe surgery and the highest calibre of surgical outcomes for patients.

Notes to editors:

1. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients. 
2. Karl Storz founded his company for the production of ENT instruments, headlamps and binocular loupes in 1945. This interest in medical vision, illumination, and thus physics consequently led him to specialize in endoscopes. He became fascinated with the idea of developing instruments that would enable doctors and surgeons to look inside the human body. However, the technology available at the time was still very limited.
3. The solution he found still holds true today: very bright light generated by an external light source is introduced into the body through a flexible fiber optic light cable. The principle of "cold light illumination" paved the way for modern endoscopy and laid the foundation for the future success of the company KARL STORZ. With more than 400 patents and utility models, Karl Storz has played a crucial role in the development of modern endoscopy.  For more information, visit: Our company | KARL STORZ Endosko
   
4. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6052/6047/6054; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.