The London Deanery General Surgical Skills Programme

Background

The London Deanery Surgical Skills programme has become part of the standard London General Surgical Registrars’ training.

The integration of structured laboratory training with surgical training allows skills acquisition within an environment that does not compromise patient safety, or raise difficulties about risk management. This approach will improve patient safety and meet public expectations on medical care.

 Aims of the programme 

• To provide distributed laboratory training that matches the training stage in clinical practice (i.e. ST3 and ST4 - general/junior or ST5 and ST6 - sub-specialty colorectal, Upper GI, HPB, breast or vascular). Training is tailored to the individual trainee’s needs and abilities. 
• To achieve a set of defined surgical competencies with exit criteria based on competence and educational objectives, rather than simply a ‘time-served’ criterion.  

Programme structure

The skills laboratory environment will add to on-the-job training, as it allows experienced consultants the time to detail the intricacies of the various procedures with the trainees, as well as allowing them the opportunity to question the consultants. This can be achieved without any risk to patient safety, which could otherwise be compromised during clinical practice. 

Trainees will be expected to attend no fewer than 70 per cent of allotted sessions, and this will be highlighted at their ARCP/RITAs. Trainees will have to organise the required dates away from their hospitals, so that no conflicts with clinical commitments arise.

The structure of the sessions will generally involve a brief discussion from the consultant trainer, followed by simulation of the procedure. Emphasis is heavily placed upon the practical side of this skills training. 

Who Are We?

Programme Director 

Professor George Hanna - Professor of Surgical Sciences and Consultant Surgeon, Department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology, Imperial College London

Management Board

Professor Nigel Standfield - Head of Postgraduate School of Surgery, London Deanery

Professor Timothy Allen-Mersh – Training Programme Director, North West London

Ms Fiona Myint – Training Programme Director, North East/North Central London

Mr Peter Leopold – Training Programme Director, South West London

Mr Mike Saunders – Training Programme Director, South East London

For further information please contact:

Ms Megan Roy 020 3312 2249 / m.roy@imperial.ac.uk

Mr Stephen Marchington 020 3312 6443 / s.marchington@imperial.ac.uk

Dr Stella Mavroveli  020 3312 6756/ s.mavroveli@imperial.ac.uk

Where Are We?

Skills sessions will be held at the Clinical Skills laboratory which is based at:

St. Mary’s Hospital, 2nd Floor, Paterson Centre, South Wharf Road, Paddington, London W2 1BL, St. Mary’s Campus map: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/campusinfo/stmarys