Plymouth Hospitals To Lead Cancer Surgery Training Programme, England

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Colorectal Cancer;  GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Article Date: 17 Nov 2008 - 3:00 PST

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Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been chosen to co-ordinate the national programme for the training of existing consultants in advanced keyhole surgery for the treatment of bowel cancer.

The Department of Health has appointed Consultant General Surgeon, Mr Mark Coleman as the National Clinical Lead for the Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Surgery Training Programme. Mr Coleman will head a co-ordinating centre based at Plymouth Hospitals, which will be responsible for managing 12 centres nationwide to deliver the training.

The training will allow consultants from around the country to learn how to use this new high-tech keyhole procedure for the treatment of bowel cancer.

Professor Mike Richards CBE, National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: "I am delighted that Mark Coleman has agreed to take on the leadership of this innovative training programme. He has already demonstrated excellent leadership skills in building a consortium of trainers in the South West and I have no doubt that he will now be able to build on this at a national level. The training programme will enable more patients to benefit from laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery."

Mr Coleman, added: "I am honoured to have been appointed as the National Clinical Lead and to be given the opportunity to take this surgical training forward. The intention is to give all patients in this country, who have been diagnosed with bowel cancer, access to a Consultant Surgeon who is trained to the best possible standards of keyhole surgery.

"Plymouth, through its excellent and developing national reputation in keyhole surgery, has succeeded in becoming the national co-ordination centre for this training programme."

Plymouth Hospitals