Surgical training in the 21st century: Are we limited by training time or are we just distracted?

The aim of any surgical training programme is to produce competent, effective, and safe individuals, who will go on to deliver high quality patient care, for a prolonged period at an affordable cost. The fundamental principles of surgical training have remained unchanged for years, despite there being increasing concerns relating to trainee recruitment, retention, and morale. There is no benefit in ascribing shortcomings of surgical training to uncontrollable factors such as the European Working Time Directive, unprecedented NHS service demand following COVID-19 and economic uncertainty. Instead, we must look introspectively at existing opportunities for improvement in order to continue to produce high quality surgeons in the NHS.

Automated summary

The aim of surgical training is to produce competent and safe surgeons. Despite concerns regarding trainee recruitment and morale, it is important to introspect and identify opportunities for improvement.