Doctors and surgeons of tomorrow can now spend dedicated time entirely focussing on their skills in endoscopy, thanks to the introduction of a new training programme at Heartlands Hospital, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB).
Over a number of weeks, trainees get hands-on training in performing endoscopy procedures, such as colonoscopies, under the supervision of a certified trainer or consultant, learning to confidently carry out essential procedures, for the rest of their career.
The training is delivered in the new Heartlands Treatment Centre, where trainees benefit from dedicated state-of-the-art facilities, and access to the latest equipment and resources for an immersive and comprehensive training experience.
Gastroenterology registrar, Somil Rastogi, has been on placement in Heartlands Hospital’s Endoscopy Unit since September 2024, and was the first person to receive this type of concentrated training at the hospital. Somil carried out 80 colonoscopies in two weeks under supervision, which on average can take a year, and has achieved all the requirements to carry out these procedures independently. He said: “The training was intense, but this kind of accelerated learning was a great opportunity to build my technical expertise in taking out polyps and diagnostic work, for example, to get expert feedback, and learn what works best for the patient.
“I’ve built my competencies and feel more confident and competent in my abilities. I feel lucky to be the first trainee at Heartlands to receive this training. Going forward, the skills I’ve built up will help make a real difference to my work in gastroenterology.”
Dr. Vanja Giljaca, consultant gastroenterologist and clinical service lead for endoscopy said: “Gastroenterology and surgery trainees have many clinical commitments, with training in endoscopy being one of them. They are required to complete 280 colonoscopies as part of their specialty training, however due to other commitments, this is difficult to achieve in the five-six years that they spend training in their specialty.
“Immersive training is designed in a way to allow a trainee to spend all day, every day, for a pre-specified period, in endoscopy developing skills that they are likely to put in use throughout their career as a doctor.
“It is the first time we are offering immersive training at UHB. This kind of training is highly sought after nationally, so it’s great to have this opportunity available for the benefit of not only our doctors and surgeons starting out in their careers, but also our patients, who will have their procedures sooner, and for the benefit of the Trust, which is developing a highly skilled workforce of the future.”
