The senior SHO rotation in Wales--a basis for BST training

Between 1969-1992 there was a successful surgical registrar rotation in South Wales (1). This was a three-year rotation comprising two years general surgery, six months trauma and orthopaedics and six months surgical specialty. The rotation was aimed at those doctors who had completed senior house officer (SHO) posts in accident and emergency, 6-12 months general surgery and had already obtained the primary FRCS. However, with the recent recommendations of the Calman Report concerning general surgical training (2) changes to this rotation have become necessary, namely to reduce the number of surgical registrars in order to achieve a balance in numbers entering higher surgical training and to shorten the period of training to seven years with two years Basic Surgical Training (BST) and five years Higher Surgical Training (HST). A modified rotation was therefore designed and implemented in South Wales since July 1992. The previous registrar rotation was shortened to two years instead of three ensuring the pre-requirements for entry into HST and eligibility to sit the second part FRCS. The aim of this study was to assess whether the new senior SHO/BST rotation in South Wales is providing adequate training for our surgical trainees to enter into HST. We present our data as a potential basis for setting up a formal BST rotation.