title: Defining our destiny: trainee working group consensus statement on the future of emergency surgery training in the United Kingdom.
abstract: The United Kingdom National Health Service treats both elective and emergency patients and seeks to provide high quality care, free at the point of delivery. Equal numbers of emergency and elective general surgical procedures are performed, yet surgical training prioritisation and organisation of NHS institutions is predicated upon elective care. The increasing ratio of emergency general surgery consultant posts compared to traditional sub-specialities has yet to be addressed. How should the capability gap be bridged to equip motivated, skilled surgeons of the future to deliver a high standard of emergency surgical care? The aim was to address both training requirements for the acquisition of necessary emergency general surgery skills, and the formation of job plans for trainee and consultant posts to meet the current and future requirements of the NHS. Twenty nine trainees and a consultant emergency general surgeon convened as a Working Group at The Association of Surgeons in Training Conference, 2015, to generate a united consensus statement to the training requirement and delivery of emergency general surgery provision by future general surgeons. Unscheduled general surgical care provision, emergency general surgery, trauma competence, training to meet NHS requirements, consultant job planning and future training challenges arose as key themes. Recommendations have been made from these themes in light of published evidence. Careful workforce planning, education, training and fellowship opportunities will provide well-trained enthusiastic individuals to meet public and societal need.
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK ; Department of Emergency Surgery, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 6YD UK.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sharrock
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Gokani
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Harries
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Humm
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marsden
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nepogodiev
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venn
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), Royal College of Surgeons England, 35 - 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3P3 UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Swain
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Surgery, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 6YD UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kirkby-Bott
keywords: Emergency general surgery; Management and job planning; NHS National Health Service; Surgical education; Surgical training