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Neurosurgery

Rotation Information 

The South West Regional Neurosurgery training programme is based in two units:

  • Frenchay Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust
  • Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust

The Departments of Neurosurgery at Frenchay Hospital and Derriford Hospital have a strong reputation for clinical training of registrars. A high throughput of patients with a broad spectrum of neurosurgical disorders allows trainees to acquire valuable clinical and surgical skills. The training programme is further supported by departmental and neurosciences academic meetings, and teaching sessions. Joint regional postgraduate study days are organised on a quarterly basis. All trainees rotate through both units to enable them to experience a full range of neurosurgical conditions and management approaches.

Information about Training Programme

The training programme consists of a six year Specialist Registrar (SpR) training period as follows:

Year 1

In the first year, there is strong emphasis on basic operative technique and clinical decision making. Junior SpRs are assigned to an operating list two to three days a week, and most trainees participate in more than 200 cases during their first year. The bulk of the cases are trauma craniotomies, routine spinal procedures, and shunt surgery. Registrars attend the outpatient clinic once a week.

Years 2 and 3

Increasingly difficult procedures are assigned to more senior trainees and consist mainly of complex spinal procedures with instrumentation, craniotomy for intra-axial tumors and meningiomas, and posterior fossa surgery.

Years 4 - 6

Senior trainees are exposed to major cases including skull base procedures, complex spine surgery, and posterior fossa procedures. Their responsibilities also include overseeing the clinical service, supporting junior trainees and teaching Senior House Officers and medical students. At the completion of their training programme, trainees would have usually performed in excess of 600 cases personally.

In the final two years, the emphasis is towards consolidating on more complex neurosurgical procedures and succeeding in the Intercollegiate Board Examination in Neurological Surgery (FRCS,SN).

After the completion of training, registrars are encouraged to embark upon a 12 month training fellowship at other institutions to further develop their chosen sub-specialist interest before commencing their neurosurgical careers.

Please also visit the Neurosurgery training section on the ISCP website.

Consultants

Here is a list of consultants at each of our bases.

Bristol

  • Mr Richard Nelson
  • Mr David Sandeman
  • Mr Ian Pople
  • Professor Steven Gill
  • Mr George Malcolm
  • Mr Nitin Patel
  • Mr David Porter
  • Mr Michael Carter
  • Mr Nik Patel
  • Mr Richard Edwards
  • Mr Ven Iyer

Plymouth

  • Mr Lou Pobereskin
  • Miss Anne Moore
  • Mr James Palmer
  • Mr Tim Germon
  • Mr Peter Whitfield
  • Mr Paul Fewings
  • Mr N Sudhakar
  • Mr Nicholas Haden