Plastic Surgery training for the South West continues to be co-ordinated by both the Severn and Peninsula locations (at ST3 level and above). Higher Plastic Surgical Trainees can thus expect to train at Brunel Building in Southmead Hospital and the Children Hospital in Bristol as well as the two hospitals in the Peninsula. At present Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education is responsible for their training and assessment. In addition Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education offers training opportunities in Plastic Surgery for Foundation Year 2, and Surgical trainees 1 and 2 as part of their themed rotations with other allied specialities (i.e. Neurosurgery, ENT Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery and General Surgery) at the peninsula plastic surgery hospitals.
The specialty of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is that branch of surgery concerned with the restoration of normal form and function. It is a varied specialty involving adults and children and encompassing a wide range of conditions affecting different parts of the body.
Nowadays most consultants in the UK have a particular area of special interest within plastic surgery although nearly all also take part in an on-call rota dealing with emergency admissions.
One of the most interesting and fulfilling aspects of the specialty is the frequency with which plastic surgeons work with surgeons from other specialties such as general surgery, orthopaedics, otorhinolaryngology and maxillofacial surgery. In these cases the reconstructive techniques that plastic surgeons have at their disposal are particularly useful.
The specialty is also closely associated with aesthetic surgery where body parts are surgically altered to bring about an improvement in appearance.
Description of the Training Rotation
Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery in the Peninsula offers training in:
- Head and Neck Surgery (including Facial Reanimation)
- Breast Reconstruction
- Sarcoma Surgery
- Hand Surgery
- Paediatric Plastic Surgery (Congenital Hand and Hypospadias Surgery)
- Burns
- Trauma Reconstruction (Lower Limb)
- Perineal and Gynaecological Reconstruction
Partnership with the Centre in Brunel Building in Southmead Hospital and the Children Hospital in Bristol extends the scope of surgery training to include all aspects of Plastic Surgery practice bar some craniofacial procedures.
The training programme is for six years pending satisfactory annual assessments and normally involves rotating between the three hospitals:
For assessment requirements, please see the ARCP Checklist.
Please see the School Structure page for Head of School, Training Programme Director, College Tutor and School Management contact details.