Postgraduate Surgical Training in the UK: the Trainees’ Perspective

Over the last 20 years, surgical training in the United Kingdom (UK) has changed dramatically. There have been considerable efforts towards creating a programme that delivers the highest standard of training while maintaining patient safety. However, the journey to improve the quality of training has faced several hurdles and challenges. Recruitment processes, junior doctor contracts, flexible working hours and equality and diversity have all been under the spotlight in recent times. These issues, alongside the extended surgical team and the increasingly recognised importance of trainee wellbeing, mean that postgraduate surgical training is extremely topical. Alongside this, as technology has evolved, this has been incorporated into all aspects of training, from recruitment to simulated training opportunities and postgraduate examinations. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought technology and simulation to the forefront in an attempt to compensate for reduced operative exposure and experience, and has transformed the way that we learn and work. In this article, we reflect on the UK surgical trainee experience and discuss areas of success as well as highlighting potential areas for improvement going forward.

10 COVID-19 and Changing Perceptions Towards Postgraduate Surgical Training in United Kingdom

Aim The evolution of the current coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact global healthcare systems on an unprecedented scale. Here, we use data from a local NHS trust within the United Kingdom (UK) to examine the perception of medical students and foundation doctors towards postgraduate surgical training. Method This tri-centric cross-sectional study was carried out via a survey disseminated within the East Sussex Healthcare NHS trust, King’s College Hospital, and King’s College London Medical School. The survey was active for 14 days (from 15th March 2020 to 28th March 2020), comprising a total of 40 foundation doctors and 10 medical students. Results A total of 50 responses were received across five hospitals and their associated medical school. A decrease of 10% and 25% was observed in interest to pursue surgery in medical students and foundation doctors, respectively, following the outbreak of COVID-19. Over 40% of foundation doctors holding postgraduate surgical training offers were not accepting them, and of those, over 40% would not consider reapplying to surgery. There was a drop in interest across a select set of specialities, and this was more obvious where aerosol-generating-procedures was a common occurrence. Conclusions These results highlight the need for a more efficient and effective response to address the immediate situation, as well as a robust contingency plan to avert the repercussions the surgical field could face.