Speciality: Vascular Surgery
Vascular Surgery was awarded specialty status in 2012 and it now has its own curriculum and training programme. Scotland is viewed as a single training region and therefore vascular surgery is a national programme here. Trainees are appointed at ST3 via UK national selection. The Scottish Vascular Surgical training programme offers a comprehensive training in both open and endovascular techniques and is split into an Eastern and a Western rotation. The Eastern rotation involves possible placements in Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy Ninewells Hospital Dundee, Raigmore Hospital Inverness, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary while the Western rotation involves possible placements in Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Hairmyres University, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow and Ayr Hospital. In the later years of training trainees may move between Eastern and Western hospitals to meet their educational needs. In the early years trainees will work in General Surgery, including on call, to gain experience in abdominal surgery as described in the vascular curriculum. Trainees will spend at least one year in General Surgery and thereafter concentrate on specialised vascular training. This will involve rotating round the various units in either sector to gain experience and expertise in all aspects of both open surgical and endovascular intervention. The later years of training will be spent in the larger vascular units where trainees will be on call solely for vascular surgery.
Trainees are allocated an educational supervisor locally and, through the ISCP website, a Learning Agreement is established at the start of each post. Each hospital runs its own M&M and MDT and a Scottish Vascular Training Programme has been established with a strong emphasis on simulation to meet trainees’ educational needs. They are entitled to funded study leave to attend courses and relevant specialty meetings.
Progress is assessed on a satisfactory ISCP portfolio and educational supervisor’s report leading to annual progression to the next level via the ARCP process. Completion of training and award of CCT requires successful performance in the Intercollegiate Specialty Examination in Vascular Surgery. Further information on the curriculum in Vascular Surgery is available on the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme website (www.iscp.ac.uk).
The programme offers a broad and comprehensive training in open surgical and endovascular techniques. In addition, in the early years the general surgical aspects of the curriculum will be addressed. Trainees will participate in local educational events such as MDTs, morbidity and mortality meetings and audit meetings. A Scottish Vascular Surgical Training programme is already established and trainees are expected to attend this. This will address both open and endovascular intervention with a significant emphasis on simulation.
There is a strong association with research in many of the vascular units and trainees will be encouraged to participate in this. Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow all have strong associations with their medical schools and have a commitment to teaching of students. In addition, trainees will be encouraged to take time out of programme for research with a view to a higher degree and the larger vascular units all have on-going research projects for this.
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, University Hospital Ayr, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Forth Valley Royal Hospital - FVRH, University Hospital Hairmyres, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Perth Royal Infirmary, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Aberdeen, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow
Vascular training in Scotland is made up of 2 rotations, one based mainly in the west of Scotland and the other in the east.
Vascular Surgery Training is delivered across:
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, University Hospital Hairmyres networking with University Hospital Ayr and Dumfries and Galloway, The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow networking with Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Ninewells Hospital and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
General Surgery component of the Vascular Curriculum is delivered across:
Forth Valley Royal Hospital – FVRH, Perth Royal Infirmary, Raigmore Hospital Inverness, University Hospital Hairmyres, University Hospital of Ayr and Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy.
There may be scope to move between rotations later in training to gain experience only offered in one site e.g. open thoraco-abdominal work in Edinburgh.
| Programme Type | Deanery based or National: National |
| Administration office | South-East of Scotland |
| Lead Dean / Director | Professor Adam Hill |
| Responsible Associate Postgraduate Dean or Assistant Director (GP) | Mr Alastair Murray |
| Specialty or Sub-specialty | Specialty or Sub-specialty: Specialty |
| Date of GMC recent approval | April 2024 |
| Associated Royal College - Faculty |
Joint Committee on Surgical Training (web site) |
| Curriculum and Associated Assessment System | http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/14308.asp |
| Programme Administrator: |
Named Programme Administrator:
Fiona Fourie
Address: NHS Education for Scotland, 102 West Port, Edinburgh, EH3 9DN Tel: 0131 656 3470 Email: Fiona.Fourie@nhs.scot |
| Programme Director |
Programme Director Name: Stuart Suttie Address: Ninewells Hospital, Dundee Tel: Email: Stuart.Suttie@nhs.scot |
| Quality of Training | Quality Management |