

Vascular Surgery: East of England

This information was provided by:
Mr Ayoola Awopetu, ST6
Ms Mimi Li, ST3
​
​
1. Who is the training programme director?
​
Mr Sohail Choksy
​
​
​
2. Please list all the hospitals in your deanery (Vascular Centres)
​
Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge​​
​
Basildon University Hospital
​
Colchester General Hospital​​​
​​
Norfolk and Norwich Hospital​​
​
Lister Hospital, Stevenage
​
Southend University Hospital
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
3. Please list all the hospitals which provide General Surgery rotations for Vascular trainees, as well as the pattern of rotations
​
Basildon University Hospital (Vascular on calls)
Ipswich Hospital
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn
​
1 year rotation in ST3 or ST4
​
​
​
4. Where do trainees generally live?
If you want to live in the same place/area for the whole of your training, Bury St Edmund’s is a good place to stay. It’s family-friendly and around 45 minutes’ drive to any of the hospitals in the region.
Several trainees have commuted from London for the whole of their training – most places are a reasonable commute from London (except Norwich).
Typically, if you don’t mind moving:
Addenbrooke’s Hospital – Cambridge/London
Basildon / Southend Hospitals – London/Essex
Colchester Hospital – Colchester/Essex/London
Norfolk & Norwich Hospital – Norwich
Lister Hospital – Stevenage/London/St Alban’s
​
​
​
​
5. How easy is it to commute to different sites?
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
6. How are rotations are allocated?
​
Allocated at the end of each year
Trainees have the opportunity to give preference for rotations
​
​
​
7. Is there dedicated endovascular training available?
Addenbrooke's - impromptu training lists/some consultants provide hands-on endovascular training
Basildon University Hospital - some consultants provide hands-on endovascular training
Colchester General Hospital - regular endovascular training lists at spoke hospital (Ipswich)
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital - none
The Lister Hospital - none
Southend University Hospital - none
​
​
​
8. How frequent is deanery teaching and where is it held?
Every 6 weeks at rotating peripheral locations (via Zoom currently due to COVID-19)
​
​
9. Is there an established research infrastructure for trainees?
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
10. Are there affiliated medical schools?
​
Anglia Ruskin University (Colchester/Basildon/Southend)
Barts and the London (Colchester/Basildon/Southend)
Cambridge University (Addenbrooke’s)
University of East Anglia (Norfolk & Norwich/Colchester)
​
​
​
11. Are there any Out of Programme Opportunities available in your region?
Research is becoming more of an established option in the region, with previous trainees having completed higher surgical degrees in the region. Previous Vascular trainees in the region have been also awarded Clinical Lectureships and Hunterian Professorships, as well as undertaking fellowships in endovascular (Australia), complex vascular (Canada) and renal access (Brighton). There are growing opportunities for fellowships in ‘Leadership’, ‘Teaching’ and ‘Simulation’ being developed by the Deanery (not exclusive to Vascular).
​
​
​
12. Are there currently any less than full time (LTFT) trainees in your region?
​
Yes
​
​
​
13. Do any hospitals in the region have on-site childcare facilities?
Unsure
​
14. Are there any other facts about your deanery that should be mentioned?
Trainee group are called Vascular STEER (Vascular Surgical Trainees of East of England Region)
​
Easy across Easy across Only appropriate Not easy
all sites most sites in some sites at all
​
​
Car
​
Public Transport
​
Bicycle
​
Car parking availability
Journal Club
Trainee Collaborative
Clinical Trials Unit
Research Meetings/Presentation Days
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow Post