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An innovative training and recruitment programme in surgery
Sriharan Sivayoganathan1,2, William English3,2, Veeranna Shatkar1
1Queens Hospital, Romford, UK.
Introduction:
Staff shortages and rising locum costs prompted Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust to design an innovative training pathway for doctors in surgery. The 'Academy of Surgery' is a 2-year structured educational programme with rotations through surgical and emergency care specialties and includes a funded MSc.
Methods:
We recruited 27 doctors over a 2-year period. The first cohort started in October 2018, the second in October 2019. These doctors are heavily supervised in a 2-year programme that aims to prepare them for higher specialty training. They undergo regular assessment and annual review of competencies and progression. They receive regular formal classroom teaching and there are regular sessions to discuss welfare.
Results:
Surgical rotas are now fully staffed and not reliant on locum doctors. This has led to significant cost savings. Locum spending in 2017 was £3,856,000 vs £1,284,000 in 2020 - a net saving of £1,187,000 over 2 years.
Conclusion:
This innovative training programme has contributed to full staffing of a number of surgical rotas within our Trust and delivered a large financial saving for the NHS. We hope to expand this work into neighbouring trusts.
