Vascular Surgery: South West
This information was provided by:
Ms Francesca Guest, ST6
1. Who is the training programme director?
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Mr Richard Bulbulia
2. Please list all the hospitals in your deanery (Vascular Centres)
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Gloucester Royal Hospital
Southmead Hospital, Bristol
Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro
3. Please list all the hospitals which provide General Surgery rotations for Vascular traines
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Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton
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Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
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4. How is the deanery subdivided? Where do trainees generally live?
Severn / Peninsula
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Trainees generally live in Bristol (north for entire region but most vibrant)
5. How easy is it to commute to different sites?
Easy across Easy across Only appropriate Not easy
all sites most sites in some sites at all
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Car
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Public Transport
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Bicycle
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Car parking availability
6. How are rotations are allocated?
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Allocated at the end of each year
Trainees have the opportunity to give preference for rotations
7. Is there dedicated endovascular training available?
Individual centres are better or worse for endovascular training. Southmead (through which all trainees rotate) now provides a three-month IR rotation. Taunton has a half day a week. Exeter IR is split between two sites and is competitive with local IR trainees. I have no experience of other sites in the deanery.
8. How frequent is deanery teaching and where is it held?
Vascular ASPIRE teaching yearly, deanery teaching variable (rotating peripheral locations)
Southmead: weekly dedicated teaching
Taunton: weekly dedicated teaching
Southmead: run online MDT teaching weekly for all vascular and interested trainees
I don’t have experience of other sites.
9. Is there an established research infrastructure for trainees?​
Journal Club
Trainee Collaborative
Clinical Trials Unit
Research Meetings/Presentation Days
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow Post
10. Are there affiliated medical schools?
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University of Bristol
University of Exeter
University of Plymouth
11. Are there any Out of Programme Opportunities available in your region?
Many research opportunities in Bristol. CTF and teaching opportunities in Taunton/Bristol/Gloucester at SHO/SpR level. BSET fellowship in Southmead, yearly Transplant fellowship in Cardiff currently. Deep venous interest in Bristol. Simulation fellowship via general surgery programme in Severn, open to vascular.
12. Are there currently any less than full time (LTFT) trainees in your region?
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Yes
13. Do any hospitals in the region have on-site childcare facilities?
Exeter yes. Taunton yes. Others unknown.
14. Are there any other facts about your deanery that should be mentioned?
I consider the South West to be a proactive and supportive deanery that gives a lot of surgical exposure. The CSTs gain excellent exposure in running the take, particularly in Taunton and there is excellent surgical training. Trainees from this region have been surgically superior to those from some other areas I have supervised as a registrar at this level due to exposure and training. There are dedicated SHO and registrar lists for index procedures in Taunton. In Taunton there is weekly trainee led teaching on MRCS/FRCS topics encouraging critical appraisal of up to date evidence-based medicine. Opportunities for vascular access training in Exeter and Bristol. There is vascular access in Plymouth but I have not worked there.