New Surgical Curriculum Welcomed By The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), By Patients And Surgical Trainees

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 17 Jul 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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The Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP) provides for the first time a comprehensive curriculum that lays down exactly what a Surgical Trainee should know and be able to do at each level of their training. The ISCP also , UK a web-based training information management system.

The ISCP has been developed by surgeons for the surgical profession with lay and expert input, the ultimate objective being to raise national professional standards and levels of patient safety.

From today the ISCP website provides the support and guidance documents required to enable the public and all involved in surgical training to access the new Curriculum. Log on to http://www.iscp.ac.uk. View here also the launch film hosted by Nick Ross.

Martin Fletcher, Chief Executive, National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) said on the launch of the ISCP:

"We are delighted that patient safety is an important focus of the new mandatory Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme.
A greater emphasis on the skills to improve patient safety, as in this training programme, needs to have a higher priority in curricula for all healthcare professionals.
We are aiming for a new generation of clinicians for whom patient safety is second nature."

Nick Ross, television presenter, and host of the launch of the ISCP commented:

"All patients will say 'well done' to the surgical profession for developing the ISCP. This transparent Curriculum is a significant and welcome development that sets clear standards."

Surgical patient Elizabeth Symonds, Chair of the Patient Liaison Group (PLG) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England said:

"I think this is tremendously exciting and I'm absolutely delighted that this new curriculum is up and running.
This is just so important for patient safety. We can now see exactly what is going on in surgical training."

Developed by the Surgical Colleges of Great Britain and Ireland and the nine surgical Specialty Associations, the new Surgical Curriculum can be accessed via the ISCP website http://www.iscp.ac.uk. It becomes mandatory for new surgical trainees from 1st August 2007.

The open access area of the website allows professionals and the public to view all aspects of the Curriculum - Syllabus, levels of competence at each stage, Standards and Assessment Tools.

"This is going to raise the profile of the profession," continues Elizabeth Symonds. "People will look at the website and the curriculum not just patients - but all sorts of interested people.
But the highest standards of patient safety and patient experience can only be delivered if medical training and surgical training are given the highest priority.
What I and the PLG now need to see are Trusts enabling this massive leap forward in training to be implemented effectively.
Patients and the public will want to be confident that the high standards set in the curriculum are being achieved. This means allowing trainees and trainers enough time for training, for 'training the trainers' and for the reliable assessment of trainees.
As patients - concerned with safety in hospital as well as with enabling trainees to acquire the whole range of professional skills that make a good surgeon - the PLG will do all it can to support the implementation of the ISCP to enable surgeons to meet these standards."

The ISCP website provides a comprehensive interactive training management information system for use by Surgical Trainees, Trainers (Assigned Educational Supervisors) and Programme Directors. The password protected interactive area of the site allows trainees and their training supervisors to view global objectives, develop learning agreements, agree assessment methods and record the evidence required to allow progression from one training placement to the next.

Paediatric Surgical Trainee at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Oliver Gee says: "The ISCP provides a clear framework for our training - we know what we should be learning and when. It provides us - the Trainees - with the authority to drive our own training.
Our Training Supervisors and Trusts need to ensure we are given the learning opportunities we need to meet our set objectives.
We will not be slow to point out any shortfalls in our training experience to our trainers."

Trainee Associations ASiT (Association of Surgeons in Training) and BOTA (British Orthopaedic Trainee Association) have been closely involved with the development of the ISCP both welcome the ISCP. Both organisations look forward to contributing to its on-going development.

-- The ISCP has been developed collaboratively by the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the nine surgical specialty associations and the surgical trainee associations ASiT and BOTA.

-- Full statements from ASiT and BOTA are available to view at http://www.iscp.ac.uk

-- On 1st August 2007, it becomes mandatory for all new surgical trainees in ST1, ST2, ST3 and FTSTA posts to follow the PMETB approved competence-based Surgical Curriculum for all nine surgical specialties embodied in the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP). Surgical trainees already in training posts are encouraged to become familiar with the new Curriculum and Assessment methods.

-- PMETB is the Postgraduate Medical Education Training Board, the regulatory body for all medical training

http://www.iscp.ac.uk

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