RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Trends in UK endoscopy training in the BSG trainees’ national survey and strategic planning for the future
JF Frontline Gastroenterology
JO Frontline Gastroenterol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP flgastro-2017-100848
DO 10.1136/flgastro-2017-100848
A1 Sujata Biswas
A1 Laith Alrubaiy
A1 Louise China
A1 on behalf of the British Society of Gastroenterology Trainees’ Section
A1 Melanie Lockett
A1 Antony Ellis
A1 Neil Hawkes
YR 2017
UL http://fg.bmj.com/content/early/2017/09/23/flgastro-2017-100848.abstract
AB Background Improvements in the structure of endoscopy training programmes resulting in certification from the Joint Advisory Group in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy have been acknowledged to improve training experience and contribute to enhanced colonoscopy performance.Objectives The 2016 British Society of Gastroenterology trainees’ survey of endoscopy training explored the delivery of endoscopy training - access to lists; level of supervision and trainee’s progression through diagnostic, core therapy and subspecialty training. In addition, the barriers to endoscopy training progress and utility of training tools were examined.Methods A web-based survey (Survey Monkey) was sent to all higher specialty gastroenterology trainees.Results There were some improvements in relation to earlier surveys; 85% of trainees were satisfied with the level of supervision of their training. But there were ongoing problems; 12.5% of trainees had no access to a regular training list, and 53% of final year trainees had yet to achieve full certification in colonoscopy. 9% of final year trainees did not feel confident in endoscopic management of upper GI bleeds.Conclusions The survey findings provide a challenge to those agencies tasked with supporting endoscopy training in the UK. Acknowledging the findings of the survey, the paper provides a strategic response with reference to increased service pressures, reduced overall training time in specialty training programmes and the requirement to support general medical and surgical on-call commitments. It describes the steps required to improve training on the ground: delivering additional training tools and learning resources, and introducing certification standards for therapeutic modalities in parallel with goals for improving the quality of endoscopy in the UK.