We strive to provide high quality education and training, supervision, and support to all trainees in all specialties.
A recent GMC national training survey reported that the trust had lots of positive outliers in various specialties in areas such as adequate experience in emergency medicine and F2 paediatrics, clinical supervision and feedback in emergency medicine. Handover in emergency medicine, anaesthetics and paediatrics were rated as above average as was induction in emergency medicine and gastroenterology. Trauma and orthopaedic surgery were rated as above average in both local and regional teaching and emergency medicine and gastroenterology both received above average ratings for overall satisfaction.
Educational and clinical supervision
The trust has a quality assurance system which trainers provide a level of supervision appropriate to the competence and experience of the trainee. This is supported by a faculty development programme that all supervisors are invited to attend, with some of the sessions being mandatory to attend if they educationally supervise a trainee.
Specialty training leads’ surgeries
Each specialty training lead holds regular surgeries within the medical education department, enabling specialty trainees to make individual appointments through the medical education staff. The surgeries provide an opportunity for all specialty trainees to discuss any issues they may have, or to seek help with their portfolios, assessment requirements, career advice and preparation for the annual review of competence progression.
Feedback from trainees about this service is excellent and uptake is high with trainees.
End of post appointments
All trainees are offered an end of post meeting with their specialty training lead, and the opportunity to complete an end of post questionnaire, both of which allows trainees the opportunity to reflect on their experience within the post. This also the medical education team and the specialty training lead to address any areas of concern within the department to ensure the quality of education and training is maintained.
Pastoral support
Pastoral support for specialty trainees is available through the specialty training leads and the medical education team.
Faculty development
To ensure quality and consistency of educational and clinical supervision provided by trainers within the trust, all supervisors of trainees are required to attend the trust local faculty development programme and update every three years. The programme ensures that all trainers are appropriately trained to supervise, provide feedback and complete competence assessment of trainees in the specialty.
Teaching and training opportunities
Each specialty provides an active weekly teaching programme based on the curriculum. The majority of sessions are consultant led, with input from trainees and other professionals. Regular attendance reports are issued to trainees for inclusion in their portfolio as evidence of learning and training. Further details of sessions are included in each specialty section.
Recruitment
All specialty trainees are appointed and recruited by Health Education North EastContact
If you require any further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Specialty training overview
Emergency medicine
Our emergency department at the University Hospital of North Tees provides 24 hour care.
Over a quarter of those attending are children under the age of 16. There is a dedicated children’s waiting and treatment area with nurse practitioners, and an emergency nurse practitioner service treating minor injuries.
The department is well supported with many emergency consultants who all have an interest in education. We have a dedicated paediatric accident and emergency consultant and two consultants with a special interest in sports medicine. We also have two consultants with interest in USS.
The department offers the following training opportunities:
- weekly resident doctor protected teaching and fortnightly middle grade teaching designed to compliment the clinical exposure to provide a well balanced education for all trainees. A consultant and middle grade is allocated to each session and trainees have input into the content of the educational sessions
- training programmes are regularly reviewed to meet the requirements of the department and curricula
- protected teaching time to enable 100% attendance at educational sessions
- regular assessments for all trainees
- an induction programme which covers clinical and non clinical issues at the start of post
- regular clinical governance meetings
- monthly consultant meetings to discuss the progress of junior medical staff so that feedback and training is tailored as required
- all trainees take part in an audit programme during their attachment with necessary support and resources
- in house resuscitation training
Good opportunity to improve my clinical skills and knowledge, with high quality teaching and demonstrations of different procedures and instruments. Good exposure to different clinical cases and able to perform appropriate procedures. I was able to develop resuscitation skills and management of acutely unwell patients in A&E resuscitation.
(CT1).
Trainees are also offered:
- regular educational lead surgeries enabling trainees to make individual appointments to discuss any issues or for advice and guidance with assessments, training and career advice
- excellent mentoring scheme and pastoral support for trainees
- all trainees offered an end of post meeting with college tutor / postgraduate specialty training manager to reflect on experience in post
- opportunities to rotate / secondments to other specialties as required
Life support courses are available for all trainees led by the emergency medicine consultants
- advanced life support (ALS)
- hospital MIMMS course
- simulation
Anaesthetics
We have excellent opportunities for trainees in anaesthetics, including ACCS trainees, foundation trainees and those on secondment for short term from general medicine and emergency medicine to gain basic experience of anaesthetics and critical care medicine.
There are lots of opportunities within the department for all trainees to achieve competencies in many key units of the curriculum due to the large number of elective and emergency cases.
Good introduction into anaesthetics and ITU. Good exposure to various techniques of airway management and vascular access.
(CT1).
The department offers the following training opportunities:
- local specialty induction to familiarise trainees with duties, policies and procedures of the department highlighting supervision, complex cases and paediatric cases
- all trainees including trust doctors are allocated an educational and clinical supervisor who they meet regularly to review progress
- completion of competency self assessment document to assist in tailoring individual training requirements
- consultant led weekly teaching sessions
- protected teaching time to enable 100% attendance at educational sessions
- regular assessments for all trainees including trust doctors
- trainees closely supervised and given ongoing feedback on progress
- all trainees allocated audit topics to be presented at clinical governance meetings
- active support within the trust for data collection and analysis
- modular training
- monthly morbidity and mortality meetings
- monthly clinical governance meetings
- airways workshop
- transfer training
- mock OSCE in preparation for FRCA exam
- critical incidents in anaesthesia – skills drill
Trainees are also offered:
- regular ST lead surgeries to enable trainees to make individual appointments with the ST lead to discuss any issues and to seek advice and guidance with assessments, training, career advice and preparation for ARCP
- excellent mentoring scheme and pastoral support
- end of post meeting with ST lead
- completion of end of post questionnaire
The department have a monthly medical education group for anaesthetics. This is to ensure quality education and training in anaesthetics and patient safety is kept to the highest standard while quality assured on the job training is provided to trainees within the directorate. A trainee representative is part of the group to ensure that trainees are involved in sharing information and decision making in training issues.
Medicine
We have excellent training opportunities for specialty trainees within our medical directorate.
Medicine includes the following sub specialties:
- acute medicine
- cardiology
- respiratory
- gastroenterology
- haematology
- rheumatology
- diabetes and endocrinology
- stroke
- care of the elderly
We have visiting consultants from The James Cook University Hospital which enables trainees to attend clinics in nephrology, neurology, dermatology and ophthalmology.
Well supported. Interesting. Gained lots of gastro experience. Supportive and friendly team. Nursing staff friendly and helpful.
(CT2).
We offer the following opportunities to trainees:
- an active programme of curriculum based teaching, journal clubs and good clinical practice weekly teaching sessions
- clinical meetings standardised to cover full range of core curriculum for CMT
- weekly Tuesday, best clinical practice meetings focusing on the generic curriculum and learning from serious untoward incidents (SUIs)
- weekly Thursday, medical directorate meetings to discuss interesting cases
- monthly RCP evening medical updates by video conferencing to include the CMT curriculum and top 20 subjects
- teaching programme reviewed in line with feedback from trainees
- all trainees including trust doctors are allocated an educational and clinical supervisor who they meet regularly to review progress
- regular assessments for all trainees including trust doctors
- all trainees given the opportunity to undertake audit
- trainees are encouraged to use their private study leave entitlement to take sabbaticals in other specialties such as intensive care and nephrology taster sessions
- advanced life support courses (ALS)
- in house resuscitation training
- local weekly teaching for example elderly care (Friday), gastroenterology (Wednesday) and respiratory (Tuesday)
- PACES exam
Trainees are also offered:
- regular ST lead surgeries enabling trainees to make individual appointments to discuss any issues
- excellent mentoring scheme and pastoral support for trainees
- all trainees offered an end of post meeting with ST lead to reflect on experience in post
- the trust organises and hosts the RCP Edinburgh recent advances in medicine symposium on behalf of the Royal College biannually, which includes both national and local speakers and is attended by the President of the Royal College, Edinburgh.
Surgery
There are many opportunities for surgical trainees to cover a large part of the curriculum within the trust, and the concentration of emergency surgery at the University Hospital of North Tees means that trainees are exposed to a large number of cases.
There are a wide variety of opportunities for teaching available, mainly in breast, colorectal and laparoscopic surgery. A large proportion of surgery is carried out as day case providing excellent experience.
The trust has a laparoscopic skills training suite. The suite is available for trainees to practise laparoscopic and suturing skills, and a range of knot tying equipment is also available.
Excellent on call experience. A patient and accommodating supervisor. Team work very well together. Good atmosphere in department.
(CT1).
We offer the following training opportunities for trainees:
- consultant led, ST teaching programme every Friday afternoon to include a regular journal club to include monthly morbidity and mortality meeting in addition to the regional teaching programme
- all teaching sessions evaluated and feedback provided to trainees as evidence for inclusion in their portfolio
- monthly clinical governance sessions which actively involve trainees presenting various audit projects, many of which have an impact on direct patient care
- active support within the trust for data collection and analysis
- practical training sessions in suturing and laparoscopic techniques take place during each trainee placement
- teaching programme continuously evaluated with each new batch of trainees to tailor training needs
- laparoscopic skills training facility for use by trainees
- very active endoscopy unit
- excellent training opportunities for trainees to obtain practical surgical experience and acquire required competencies set out by the curriculum
- trainees constantly given opportunities to learn new skills under supervision, during theatre sessions, ward rounds and outpatient clinics
- trainees where possible are on call with their regular team to maximise training experience
- trainees closely supervised and given ongoing feedback on progress
- nurse specialists and other members of MDT actively involved in teaching
- regular ISCP update sessions for trainees and trainers with RCS regional co-ordinator
- regular MDT meetings
- weekly x-ray teaching / case discussion sessions to discuss complex and emergency cases
- good opportunity for audits and publications
Trainees are also offered:
- regular ST lead surgeries to enable trainees to make individual appointments for advice and guidance with assessments, training, career advice, and to discuss any issues
- excellent mentoring scheme and pastoral support for trainees
- all trainees offered an end of post meeting with ST Lead to reflect on experience in post
Orthopaedics
All trainees are required to work on both of our hospital sites, and there are many opportunities to cover a large part of the curriculum within the trust and gain surgical skills.
Opportunities are available for all levels of trainees. The concentration of trauma surgery at the University Hospital of North Tees means that there is a huge workload giving the trainees ample experience in all forms of trauma except pelvic reconstruction and complex llizarov limb reconstruction.
In elective surgery the trust is a leading provider of lower limb joint replacement. The spinal team carry out all types of spinal surgery from cervical down to lumbar including anterior approaches where necessary. Lumbar and cervical disc replacements are frequently performed. In the upper limb department a large percentage of the workload is carried out arthroscopically. Shoulder and elbow replacements are carried out frequently within the upper limb unit. Hand and wrist surgery including arthroscopic is performed regularly.
Trauma
All consultants contribute to trauma.
- concentrated at the University Hospital of North Tees – 14 trauma lists each week
- regular weekly workshops on Friday afternoons
- department involved in national fracture neck of femur audit and audit of proximal humeral fractures
- recognised AO training site
- dedicated trauma weeks for consultants
Excellent exposure to the sub speciality. Very good trainer, supportive department with very good environment to work.
ST7.
Lower limb
Consultants: Mr C Tulloch, Mr N Nargol, Mr N Cooke, Mr Tang, Mr Anand, Mr S Maheswaren, Mr R Limaye
- arthroplasty and foot and ankle
- concentrated in a dedicated unit at the University Hospital of Hartlepool
- active research on metal on metal prosthesis
Spinal surgery
Consultants: Mr T Friesem, Mr Bhatia
- at the University Hospital of North Tees
- on going research into disk replacement and degenerative disorders of the spine
Upper limb surgery
Consultants: Mr N Bayliss, Mr A Middleton, Mr R Nanda
- at the University Hospital of North Tees
- dedicated 23 hour stay in Leven Unit for arthroscopy and upper limb surgery
Day case
- carried out on both sites
Good exposure to trauma theatre, all team members willing to teach and supervise while performing procedures. Excellent departmental teaching rota with three teaching sessions / week.
CT2.
Teaching
- daily trauma meetings
- regular general orthopaedic teaching and journal club
- workshops demonstrating techniques for internal fixation of fractures and for joint replacement procedures
- separate tutorials in knee and spinal surgery
- weekly trauma review meetings
- monthly clinical governance meetings which regularly cover morbidity and mortality and any untoward incidents
- arthroscopic sessions to include: shoulder, elbow, and knee
Trainees are also offered
- regular ST lead surgeries enabling trainees to make individual appointments to discuss any issues
- excellent mentoring scheme and pastoral support for trainees
- all trainees offered an end of post meeting with ST lead to reflect on experience in post
Arthroscopy course
The department also offers an arthroscopic course in shoulder surgery.
Obstetrics and gynaecology
We have excellent training opportunities for our trainees in obstetrics and gynaecology.
All consultants within the department are committed to education and training. A consultant is purely on call for the labour ward and emergency care to ensure good supervision of trainees with time and opportunities for discussion and learning.
All trainees are offered the following training opportunities:
- regular emergency skill drills
- weekly case discussion meeting where labour ward cases or gynaecological cases are reviewed and presented by trainees
- monthly gynae imaging meeting
- weekly CTG meeting
- weekly teaching programme to include practical sessions
- monthly clinical audit meetings
- unannounced obstetric skill drills on the labour ward (APH, PPH, breech delivery, cord prolapse, shoulder dystocia, neonatal resuscitation, eclampsia and evacuation of birthing pool) which mimics real emergencies
- monthly risk management meetings
- weekly MDT meetings
- three monthly gynae pathology meeting
- all trainees allocated audit topics
- all trainees are allocated an educational and clinical supervisor
- three day RCOG basic practical skills course providing trainees an opportunity to attend the course locally
Advanced technical skills modules (ATSMs) to specialty trainees 6/7 including:
- dedicated sessions on sim suite
- regular perinatal morbidity and mortality meetings
- laparoscopic surgery
- hysteroscopic surgery
- advanced labour ward
- benign abdominal surgery
- benign vaginal surgery
- subfertility and reproductive medicine
- acute gynaecology
- abortion care
- cervical disease management
- sexual and reproductive health
- education and training
Opportunity of being first on call to see acute gynae emergencies in A/E and early pregnancy problems.
GPSTR.
Trainees are also offered:
- regular ST lead surgeries enabling trainees to make individual appointments to discuss any issues
- excellent mentoring scheme and pastoral support
- all trainees are offered an end of post meeting with ST lead to reflect on experience in post
HENE provides the following courses:
- basic surgical skills course
- colposcopy
- basic obstetric ultra sound course
- theory course for family planning
- MRCOG part two course
Paediatrics
We have many opportunities for trainees within paediatrics, including in our neonatal unit, general paediatrics and outpatients.
Neonatal unit
Our neonatal unit is a tertiary (level 3) intensive care unit in the Northern Neonatal Network. The unit has five intensive care, four HDU and 13 SCBU cots as well as a two bedded transitional care unit.
We provide intensive care to the BAPM criteria caring for all gestations including extreme prematurity at the limits of viability (23 weeks) and all modalities including HFOV, inhaled NO and cooling therapy.
There are excellent opportunities for research. We recruit for multicentre portfolio studies and there are numerous opportunities available. We provide appropriate guidance and encourage research projects towards international presentations and publications in peer reviewed journals.
The consultants have special interests ranging from neurology, infection, neonatal cardiology, nutrition and research. Our department benefits from good support services for example paediatric radiologist, ophthalmologist, ENT.
There are weekly high risk neonatal follow up clinics and opportunities to attend paediatric dermatology, cardiology, neurology, neuro disability, respiratory, diabetes and endocrine and gastroenterology clinics.
General paediatrics
Inpatients
We provide care to children and young people from birth to age 16 in a 30 bedded ward at the University Hospital of North Tees.
The ward has 11 cubicles, two to four bedded bays and a two bedded high dependency unit. There is a day unit which has 10 beds including five cubicles.
Well staffed, excellent experience, nice team to work with, never felt out of my depth.
ST2.
There is a separate day unit at the University Hospital of Hartlepool which is led by nurse practitioners. General paediatrics and speciality patients are cared for including neurology and neurodisability, gastro, respiratory, allergy and infectious diseases.
Outpatients
There are busy outpatient clinics dealing with all aspects of paediatrics. These clinics are held in a dedicated paediatric outpatient suite at the University Hospital of North Tees, the University Hospital of Hartlepol and at Peterlee Community Hospital.
There are regular clinics in the following (trainees are allocated clinics in accordance to their speciality interest):
- diabetes and endocrinology
- acute neurology (headaches and epilepsy)
- cystic fibrosis
- asthma and respiratory problems
- cardiology
- neurodisability
- neonatal follow up
- allergy
- paediatric gastroenterology
- infection and HIV
- general paediatrics
- community clinics
- developmental assessment clinics
- audiology clinics
- clinics for children with toileting problems
- clinic in special school for children with physical disabilities and learning disabilities
- multidisciplinary feeding difficulties clinic
- autistic spectrum clinic
There are clinics held by the child and adolescent psychiatrists.
The following clinics are also held by visiting consultants:
- neonatal ophthalmology
- endocrinology clinic
- paediatric neurology clinic
- paediatric respiratory clinic
- paediatric muscle clinic
- paediatric dermatology
- paediatric urology and nephrology
Good clinical supervision during community post. Good selection of clinics and timetable during community period flexible according to trainees needs.
ST5.
Teaching opportunities:
- weekly neonatal topic
- weekly paediatric topic
- monthly radiology meetings
- monthly journal club meetings
- monthly case based discussions
- external speakers
- consultant delivered induction teaching on key topics for first six weeks of rotation
- monthly perinatal mortality and morbidity meetings
- once monthly peer review safe guarding meeting
- once monthly audit meetings
- monthly clinical governance / risk management meetings
- all trainees allocated an audit topic
- research opportunities
- MRCPCH clinical examiners in our department- regular teaching sessions
- Dr Anil Tuladhar organises MRCPCH course
- neonatal life support courses held three times a year at the University Hospital of North Tees – Dr B Reichert
- study days, symposium and conferences organised by consultants
- leadership and management opportunities
- faculty development courses
Trainees are also offered:
- regular college tutor surgeries enabling trainees to make individual appointments to discuss any issues
- paediatric education group meetings 2-3 / 6 months
- excellent mentoring scheme and pastoral support
- end of post meeting with the ST lead to reflect on experience in post
The department topped in four domains in a recent trainee survey completed by the Deanery. The department prides itself in having a good reputation for training opportunities, supportive consultants and a good teaching programme.