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Cardiothoracic Surgery

Cardiothoracic Training

Cardiothoracic Surgery ST3 Training Programme In Severn and Peninsula Deaneries

Deanery Rotation Base(s)

  • Bristol - UHBristol 
  • Plymouth - Derriford Hospital 

Deanery Information

  • The Severn and Peninsula Deanery have dedicated cardiothoracic support staff at each centre
  • Severn Deanery – Susan House
  • Peninsula Deanery – Heather Rowley
  • Funding streams are available through the Severn Deanery to a maximum of £550 per annum/trainee
  • Annual questionnaire for trainee satisfaction

Rotation and Trust Information

The Bristol component (UHBristol) of the training programme is based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, the Bristol Royal Sick Children’s Hospital and the new £65 million Bristol Heart Institute. There are strong links with the BHI research group which has £54 million worth of grants from 160 separate grant funders.

This is a large University Medical Centre performing 1700 adult hearts, 300 children’s cardiac and 800 general thoracic surgical cases per year.

We have two Professors of Cardiac Surgery, two Readers and nine full-time NHS Consultants. There are 13 middle grade cardio-Thoracic Surgeons (two NTN’s, two Academic NTN’s (ACF), two LAT’s, five Clinical Fellows and two Associate Specialists).

There is a prospectively collected PATS database which has been in operation for 14 years and has 20,000 patients.

Particular areas of specialisation include off-pump CABG, minimal-access mitral and aortic valve surgery and clinical research.

The Plymouth component of the training programme is based at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth which has, in the last two years relocated to the £40 million Sir Terence Lewis Building - The South West Cardiothoracic Centre, performing 1300 adult cardiac and 600 general thoracic procedures annually.

There are six full time cardiac consultants and 2 full time thoracic consultants. Minimally invasive oesophageal surgery (MIO) has now relocated from Exeter to Derriford.

Particular areas of specialisation include minimal access mitral and aortic valve surgery (including TAVI), AF surgery, aortic surgery and MIO.

We have strong ties with the Peninsula Medical School and developed the Surgical Nurse Practitioner programme for the South West with collaboration with the school of nursing, freeing up time for junior doctors to spend more time on training and less on service delivery.

National trainees rotate between the two centres for periods of 2-4 years depending on the trainees interests.

Trainees are allocated to individual consultant teams for 6 month posts and will be expected to be independently operating within the first few years of appointment

Registrar rotas at both units are compliant with the EWTD. Changes that have been made over the last two years include:

  • Non-resident on call registrar
  • Commitment to firm based training
  • Mandatory day off post on-call
  • Weekly publication of rota allocation to allow planning of non-operating day post on-call
  • Reintroduction of firm based training at core training level
  • Amalgamation of cardiology and cardiac surgical on call at night rota
  • Structured training for core trainees by SCPs in theatre

Teaching

Weekly Teaching

Bristol: Weekly Educational seminars from 0800-0915 every Friday. These include curriculum topics, ECHO meeting, journal club, research data presentations and practice for oral presentations at national/international meetings.

Derriford: Dedicated weekly education meetings on Tuesday 08h00- 09h00. These include curriculum topics, ECHO meeting, journal club, research data presentations and practice for oral presentations at national/international meetings.

Registrar Teaching

Late afternoon sessions are arranged on a weekly basis on Wednesday afternoon to prepare registrars for the finals exam

Wetlab Courses: There are biannual wetlab courses for the Southwest trainees. The first was in October 2010 with 10 delegates covering coronary artery bypass grafting (distal and proximal anastomosis). The second is scheduled for March 2011.

Mock examinations are planned for biannual dates (February and September 2011). Consultants from both units, not involved with CTh examinations, will provide mock exams for trainees from both units.

We have regular training days between both units (Taunton) to discuss curriculum projects and discuss common research interests.

Funding

All trainees are allocated £550.00 per annum for study leave and are encouraged to regularly submit and present at regional, national and international meetings.

Consultants from both units are involved with undergraduate training at a national level:

  • Basic skills course CTh RCSE
  • Intermediate skills course RCSE
  • Birmingham review course
  • SCTS University
  • Professional development course

Contacts

Training Programme Director – Clinton Lloyd

Specialty Manager – Susan House responsible for recruitment and selection, quality monitoring, rotations, deanery representation on committees, and any changes to trainees personal data.

School Support Manager – Chad Elliott – responsible for study leave, support to Head of Schools, and Training Programme Directors, arranging RITA and ARCP assessments.