Pilot sites announced for new surgical training programme

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) and Health Education England (HEE) have today announced the first Trusts and hospitals that they will be working with to deliver the Improving Surgical Training project (IST).

The pilot sites, from eight Schools of Surgery and Training Boards throughout the UK, will implement a new surgical training programme for general surgery. It will trial improvements in the quality of training, creating a better balance between service and training for trainees, professionalising the role of trainers and developing members of the extended surgical team to work alongside surgical trainees to improve patient care. It also provides the ideal opportunity to develop the concept of the “Modern Firm”, where multi-disciplinary teams provide junior doctors with the support they require in a positive and collaborative environment.

The pilot sites announced include:

1. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
2. Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Derby Hospital)
3. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
4. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
5. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust (Queen Elizabeth Hospital)
6. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
7. The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Victoria Infirmary)
8. Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
9. University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust      
10. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
11. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (Morriston Hospital)
12. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (Royal Gwent Hospital)
13. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (University Hospital of Wales)
14. Cwm Taf University Health Board (Royal Glamorgan Hospital)
15. Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
16. Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
17. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Northern General Hospital)
18. The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
19. Relevant Health Boards in Scotland (TBC)
20. East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
21. Medway NHS Foundation Trust

Mr Ian Eardley, RCS Vice-President and Chair of the Improving Surgical Training working group, said:

“The GMC’s annual trainee survey consistently finds that surgical trainees are the least satisfied of all the medical specialties with their training. We believe trainees, trainers and the wider surgical team will benefit from this new approach to general surgical training, which will result in them delivering better care for patients.

“IST represents a significant opportunity to trail enhancements to the experience of surgical trainees and we’re excited to be working with these Trusts to deliver these benefits. Ultimately, we hope this will serve as a model for training in other surgical specialties.”

Professor Wendy Reid, Director of Education and Quality and Medical Director, Health Education England, said:

“The pilots incorporate a range of exciting developments for training in general surgery. In particular, they provide an excellent opportunity for us to test how different, more multi-disciplinary models of team working can improve the quality of training received by our doctors in training, and the care they then provide to patients. HEE is delighted that this is a UK supported project.

I would like to congratulate the trusts selected and look forward to seeing their outcomes as they develop.”

Read more about the IST project.