The Theatre: Surgical Learning & Innovation Podcast

October is Black History Month in the UK, and this month's theme is 'Celebrating Our Sisters.' For this month's episode, RCS England's Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Corriene Bailey-Bearfield sits down with orthopaedic consultant, Samantha Tross for a candid conversation about personal journeys, social responsibility, and Black History Month itself.

This is the third episode in our ongoing series on the theme of Ethical Leadership, presented by Salman Ahmed and Aya Musbahi. This time around, they are joined by Professor Joyce Liddle of Northumbria University for a conversation on public value in the healthcare service. The discussion covers what value looks like for a public body like the NHS in terms of service delivery, who creates this value, and what this means for surgeons and other healthcare professionals. We hope listeners will be able to take away what they hear today and consider what value creation looks like in their own workplaces.

As always, we are looking to hear from you, so please do reach out to us on social media, or email us at podcasts@rcseng.ac.uk

February is LGBTQ+ History Month, and for us that means returning to a topic that we’ve touched on a few times over the life of this podcast, and that is issues facing queer surgeons in the workplace. Up to this point, we’ve focused exclusively on the experiences of LGBTQ+ surgeons in the UK, but for this episode, we are featuring members of our own Pride in Surgery Forum (aka Prism) in conversation with members of Pride in Medicine, a multispecialty group of doctors in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Through this podcast, we wanted to highlight common issues facing LGBTQ+ clinicians in another country, explain different approaches being taken to gaining LGBTQ+ inclusion and visibility, and discuss how perceptions of the impacts of homophobia and transphobia differ between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ people.

This episode features Pride in Surgery Forum (PRiSM) chair and consultant vascular surgeon Ginny Bowbrick with PRiSM vice-chair and orthopaedic registrar Karen Chui, in conversation with members of Pride in Medicine: general surgeon Richard Turner and general surgery follow Matt Marino. 

As a note on terminology, this podcast uses the term "Mardi Gras," which, for listners outside Australia refers to the Pride Festival in Sydney.

In part one of our ongoing investigation of Ethical Leadership with Aya Musbahi and Salman Ahmed, listeners were invited to consider the concept of “ethical leadership,” as well as how this can be applied to surgeons in the modern health service. This second episode discusses the issue of efficiency in the context of healthcare, and how questions of efficiency and service delivery often become issues of ethics and leadership. The episode is structured in two segments, with the first featuring Aya and Salman discussing the realtionship between equity and efficiency in the context of issues such as employee performance; while in the second segment, Aya and Salman invite Kevin Magee, Chief Executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for a conversation on how health organisations can become ethically led, given current pressures such as resource scarcity and increasing wait times for operations. 

Opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Despite advances in the field of sexual health medicine in recent years, there remain persistent myths and misconceptions, both amongst the general public, as well as between medical professionals who do not specialise in this area. Indeed, the stigmas surrounding conditions such as HIV and syphilis may have repercussions for patient care if health practitioners are unable to properly administer these patients as a result of poor information. This series of discussions, featuring colorectal surgeon and Women in Surgery Chair, Tamzin Cuming, and sexual health physician Diarmuid Nugent, aims to provide surgeons with some basic information on the subject so that they may confidently treat patients in their surgical clinics when these conditions and issues may be relevant. 

The first episode in this series will discuss recent advances in HIV medicine, such as PrEP and U=U, and how these developments have changed the way healthcare professionals treat patients living with HIV. Listeners are encouraged to describe how these concepts may impact their own clinical practice, recognise when it may be appropriate to test for HIV in the surgical clinic and discuss the evolving language in this area, noting why some terms may contribute to stigma.

The authority gap between men and other genders in surgery will perhaps take years to equilibrate, but is this gap getting wider with more women of colour entering surgical specialities? Is it natural for men to automatically assign women in surgery to the roles of a scrub nurse, a translator, a scribe, or a receptionist? The podcast features the hurdles that women of colour experience in the workplace and how they reclaim their roles as surgeons.

Over the last three years Chris Lewis and James Tomlinson have developed a new surgical boot camp for ST3 trauma and orthopaedic trainees at their trust in Yorkshire, focusing on leadership, professionalism, and the complexities of the registrar role, with an aim towards getting the most from the surgical team around them in the pursuit of outstanding patient care. The sessions have been delivered by trainees who have undertaken formal leadership fellowships, developing the skills of both those attending the bootcamp as well as those delivering it. 

Today, Chris and James are joined by Vivek Balachandar and Erin Demoulin to discuss the evolution of the bootcamp and the lessons learned from its implementation.

As always, opinions expressed on this podcast are the speakers' own and do not necessarily reflect the official views of RCS England.

In this episode, Upper GI trainees Aya Musbahi and Salman Ahmed consider the concept of ethical leadership and what this means for surgeons striving to embed ethical practices within the structures of the modern health service. This conversation is the first instalment of an ongoing discussion between Aya and Salman on these themes, which we will return to at various points throughout the year. Here, the concept of ethical leadership and its associated challenges will be introduced with a view to encouraging listeners to consider how these concepts may embedded into their own practice. Future episodes on this subject will elaborate the concepts discussed here in a variety of contexts and practical applications.

Welcome back to the Theatre for 2022!

In this episode, consultant vascular surgeon Ginny Bowbrick meets with consultant ENT surgeon Ekpemi Irune to discuss the flawed nature of the term “imposter syndrome” and how this concept, in addition to being poorly defined and widely misunderstood, can be linked to broader issues surrounding confidence, belonging and emotional safety.

Through this conversation, we invite our listeners to consider how confidence is acquired and how it is presented, how confidence is often a product of environment rather than of individual character, and what factors may be present in the workplace that may contribute to a lack of confidence. In doing so, we hope to demystify some of these concepts and reinforce the notion that no one facing issues of confidence is ever alone, particularly in working environments that do not foster a healthy sense of inclusion.

This is the second of a two-part discussion on the shared theatre environment, featuring a panel of both surgeons and anaesthetists reaching across the curtain to reflect on the cultural similarities and differences between two specialties that can often seem divided despite working mere feet apart. Following from the previous discussion on theatre culture, this episode will focus on the differences in training cultures between the two specialities.

These episodes are presented by anaesthetic consultant Deirdre Conway, orthopaedic ST3 Karen Chui, anaesthetic ST5 Stuart Edwardson and CT1 surgical trainee Karishma Shah.

This is the last episode of the Theatre for 2021! We will return in the New Year with more dispatches from the world of surgical innovation.

This is the first of a two-part discussion on the shared theatre environment, featuring a panel of both surgeons and anaesthetists reaching across the curtain to reflect on the cultural similarities and differences between two specialties that can often seem divided despite working mere feet apart.

These episodes are presented by orthopaedic ST3 Karen Chui, anaesthetic consultant Deirdre Conway, anaesthetic registrar Stuart Edwardson and orthopaedic CT1 surgical trainee Karishma Shah. This episode focuses on shared theatre culture, while the second part revolves around the distinct training cultures of each specialty. Our panel will return in two weeks’ time for the second part of the discussion on training culture.

In this episode, Emerging Leaders programme lead and colorectal consultant Trish Boorman, and registrar Niroshini Rajaretnam discuss the nature of positive influence in surgery, in terms of both the people that have influenced them in the past, as well as being a positive influence upon those just starting their careers.

Applications for the Emerging Leaders programme will re-open in Autumn 2022. Please visit the College’s website for more information on the application process.

This is the tenth episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

Presented by David Faluyi, Academia and research oficer for Melanin Medics and Andrew Alalade, consultant neurosurgeon, this episode considers how implicit bias affects career progression in surgery.

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon Georgette Oni leads a diverse panel considering the question, "Whose breast cancer service is it anyway?" Featuring Consultant Breast Surgeon and breast cancer survivor, Rosie Stanton; community champion, entrepreneur and breast cancer survivor, Leanne Pero; and Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of Nottingham and risk-reducing breast patient, Dr Emma Wilson, this episode aims to explore and clarify the ways in which the NHS breast cancer service can be improved, with a focus on personal experiences and empowering patients.

This is the fourth and final part of an ongoing series on the theme of LGBTQ+ people in surgery. Building on the themes introduced in the previous episodes, Ginny Bowbrick, consultant vascular surgeon, and Chloe Scott, consultant orthopaedic surgeon will in this episode interview Royal College of Surgeons of England Vice President, Tim Mitchell, and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh council member, Clare McNaught, on what the Colleges can do to improve participation and inclusivity for LGBTQ+ surgeons, as well as surgeons from other marginalized groups.

This is the ninth episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

Presented by Temidayo Osunrobi, Director of Academia for Melanin Medics and Samantha Tross, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, this episode considers how diverse leadership can be better developed and supported within surgery, with a focus on widening opportunities and creating a more positive training environment.

This is the eighth episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

Presented by Temidayo Osunrobi, Academia Director for Melanin Medics and Frank Chinegwundoh, consultant urological surgeon, this episode considers the impact that promoting diversity in leadership can have on the future of surgery.

This is the seventh episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

This episode will discuss mentorship, networking and influence-building for surgeons of diverse backgrounds. Presented by Mama Ntiriwa Sekyi-Djan, Education and Training Officer for Melanin Medics and Georgette Oni, consultant plastic, reconstructive and oncoplastic breast surgeon, this episode considers the impact of the recent Kennedy Report on diversity within the College structures, and how people of diverse backgrounds can increase their participation in College life.

This is the sixth episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

This episode will discuss the impact of inequalities in training, career progression and professional development for surgeons who don’t fit the accepted notion of what a surgeon looks like. Presented by Mama Ntiriwa Sekyi-Djan, Education and Training Officer for Melanin Medics and Scarlett McNally, consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, this episode considers differential attainment for surgeons of diverse backgrounds and the role of the Royal College of Surgeons of England as a driver for influencing change.

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/careers-in-surgery/careers-support/careers-resources-and-links/

https://www.surgeons.org/about-racs/about-respect

This is the third of a four-part series on the theme of LGBTQ+ people in surgery. In this episode, Ginny Bowbrick, consultant vascular surgeon, interviews Philippa Burns, also a consultant vascular surgeon, about her experiences coming out at work as a transgender surgeon. This discussion considers the nature of privilege and respectability in the surgical community, the attitudes of patients and colleagues to transgender people in the hospital environment, and what can be done to improve the desirability of surgery as a profession to as wide a range of people as possible.

This is the second of a four-part series on the theme of LGBTQ+ people in surgery. In this episode, we present a panel discussion on life as LGBTQ+ trainee, presented by Ginny Bowbrick, consultant vascular surgeon in conversation with trainees Karen Chui, Greta McLachlan, and Alexander Stephenson-Allen. This episode will consider the attitudes of colleagues to out surgeons in the workplace, the impact of being LGBTQ+ on career progression, and how issues of diversity affect surgical training.

This is the first of a four-part series on the theme of LGBTQ+ people in surgery. In this episode, we present a panel discussion on life as an consultant, presented by Ginny Bowbrick, consultant vascular surgeon, Chloe Scott, consultant hip and knee surgeon, Nick Ferran, consultant shoulder and elbow surgeon, and Mark Bagnall, consultant colorectal surgeon. This episode will consider the attitudes of colleagues to out surgeons in the workplace, the impact of being LGBTQ+ on family life, as well as the importance of diversity within the medical workforce, for both staff and patients.

This is the fifth episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

This episode will discuss the impact of socioeconomic inequalities on healthcare delivery. Presented by Ayomide Ayorinde, Education and Training Officer for Melanin Medics and Stella Vig, consultant vascular surgeon at Croydon University Hospital, this episode considers the concept of surgery as a public health intervention, with a particular focus on Ms. Vig’s work to reduce amputation rates in patients with diabetes.

This is the fourth episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

This episode will discuss the impact of socioeconomic inequalities on healthcare delivery. Presented by Ayomide Ayorinde, Education and Training Officer for Melanin Medics and Professor Neena Modi, professor of Neonatal Medicine at Imperial College London and President-elect of the British Medical Association, this episode considers the barriers to good health outcomes created by socioeconomic inequalities, and what individual healthcare practitioners can do to mitigate them.

This is the third episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Continuing the discussion on protected characteristics in relation to patient care, this episode will focus on the barriers faced by gender diverse patients in accessing care. Presented by William Adeboye, academia officer for Melanin Medics, and Dr. Alison Berner, medical oncology specialist trainee and specialty doctor at the Gender Identity Clinic in London, this episode considers what health professionals can do to better understand and treat their gender diverse patients.

This is the second episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

This episode will discuss institutional racism within healthcare, and the impact of racism on decision-making and patient care. Presented by Jade Okene, founding member of Melanin Medics and Mr. Michael Okocha, a general surgical trainee and Diversity Officer for the Association of Surgeons in Training, this episode considers what can be done to mitigate the impact of racism within healthcare in order to foster a more inclusive environment for patients.

See below for links to some of the resources referenced in this episode:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28249596/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28532892/

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/library-and-publications/rcs-publications/docs/avoiding-unconscious-bias/

This week, in commemoration of International Women’s Day, we present a panel discussion on the changing face of the surgical profession. Presented by Anthea Davy, consultant orthopaedic and hand surgeon, Stella Vig, consultant vascular surgeon, and Victoria Pegna, ST7 in colorectal, this episode looks to challenge the words and personality traits associated with surgeons and present a new take on what it means to be a surgeon today.

This is the first episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all.

In this first episode, we begin with an introduction to health inequalities and why there is an urgent demand for things to change. Presented by Jade Okene, founding member of Melanin Medics and Dr Enam Haque, a GP and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Manchester, this episode will discuss the current reality of prevalent systemic bias embedded within the surgical workforce and college, as well as the wider health system at large. It will also detail historic trends of the past and the need for these to be eliminated within the foreseeable future.

Views expressed in this podcast are the speakers' own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Royal College of Surgeons. Please see the links below for some of the resources and links mentioned in the podcast:

https://www.melaninmedics.com/

http://dimah.we.bs/

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph46

https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m438

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27044069/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30803548/

Following from the previous two episodes on failing intelligently, we will continue along a similar path this week with a discussion of the themes and ideas behind the recent Supporting Surgeons After Adverse Events guidance produced by RCS England in collaboration with Bournemouth University’s Surgeon Wellbeing Research Team. This podcast is presented by Kevin Turner consultant urologist in Bournemouth and chair of the surgical adverse events first aid response working group which produced the guidance in conversation with Jo Cresswell, consultant urologist in Middlesbrough.

For the full guidance on Supporting Surgeons After Adverse Events, please see the link below:

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/standards-and-research/standards-and-guidance/good-practice-guides/supporting-surgeons-after-adverse-events/

This is the second episode of a two-part podcast on the theme of Failing Intelligently, presented by Caris Grimes, Colorectal and General Surgeon and Ginny Bowbrick, Vascular Surgeon, both at Medway Hospital in Kent. In the first episode, Caris and Ginny discussed resilience in the face of adverse outcomes, as well as the difference between failing well and failing badly. This second episode will centre on specific case studies, as Caris and Ginny share some of their personal experiences.

As discussed in the podcast, we would be extremely grateful if you could spend a few minutes filling in the below questionnaire. The aim is to explore mindset, safety culture and errors, with a view to seeing how we can improve patient safety.

https://tinyurl.com/yygjzqe6

For further information on how you can get involved with RCS England's Leadership Professional Passport programme, led by Ginny Bowbrick, please see the links below:

https://tinyurl.com/yxctmmrk

https://tinyurl.com/y4fvlznk

This is the first episode of a two-part podcast on the theme of Failing Intelligently, presented by Caris Grimes, Colorectal and General Surgeon and Ginny Bowbrick, Vascular Surgeon, both at Medway Hospital in Kent. In this episode, Caris and Ginny will discuss resilience in the face of adverse outcomes, as well as the difference between failing well and failing badly. The second episode will centre on specific case studies, as Caris and Ginny share some of their personal experiences.

As discussed in the podcast, we would be extremely grateful if you could spend a few minutes filling in the below questionnaire. The aim is to explore mindset, safety culture and errors, with a view to seeing how we can improve patient safety. 

https://tinyurl.com/yygjzqe6

For further information on how you can get involved with RCS England's Leadership Professional Passport programme, led by Ginny Bowbrick, please see the links below:

https://tinyurl.com/yxctmmrk

https://tinyurl.com/y4fvlznk

This is the second and final episode of a two-part podcast focusing on surgical supervision during Covid-19 and beyond, presented by Dan Beral, colorectal surgeon and clinical lead of the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s Excellence in Surgical Supervision (ESS) course, and Nicolas Mitchell, RCS Educator. In this episode, Dan and Nic discuss the future of surgical supervision and look ahead to the implementation of a new curriculum in 2021.

'The Theatre' is taking a break for the holidays, but will return with new episodes starting 7 January.

For the JCST paper referred to in this episode and more information on the Excellence in Surgical Supervision (ESS) course, please see the below links:

https://www.jcst.org/jcst-news/2020/11/10/news-item/

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/education-and-exams/courses/search/excellence-in-surgical-supervision-ess/

Welcome to the first of a two-part podcast focusing on surgical supervision during Covid-19 and beyond, presented by Dan Beral, colorectal surgeon and clinical lead of the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s Excellence in Surgical Supervision (ESS) course, and Nicolas Mitchell, RCS Educator. In this episode, Dan and Nic discuss the impact Covid-19 has had on surgical supervision as we pass the nine month mark since the start of the first lockdown and approach the end of the year. They will also consider the positive and negative legacies of the pandemic, trainee and trainer confidence, and the balance between learning and service delivery.

Dan and Nic will return in two weeks’ time with the second and final part of this podcast, where they will discuss what the future holds for surgical supervision going into 2021 and beyond. 

For the JCST paper referred to in this episode and more information on the Excellence in Surgical Supervision (ESS) course, please see the below links:

https://www.jcst.org/jcst-news/2020/11/10/news-item/

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/education-and-exams/courses/search/excellence-in-surgical-supervision-ess/

In this, the second and final episode of our two-part series on Reflections from the Covid-19 response, orthopaedic registrar and PhD candidate in medical Education, Simon Fleming discusses his experiences working at the Nightingale Hospital in London at the height of the pandemic. Though this interview was recorded on 1 May and operations at the Excel Centre have since ceased, these reflections nonetheless contain valuable insights for how surgical teaching and training may grow from the trauma and upheaval of Covid-19. 

"The Theatre" is taking a pause for the summer, but will return in September with more important conversations from the world of surgery.

In this first of a two-part series on Covid-19 Reflections, neurosurgeon John Brecknell, head of school for the London Postgraduate school of surgery discusses the impact of Covid-19 on surgical teaching and training with RCS Educator, Elise Omfalos. Though this interview was recorded on 4 May and there have been a number of developments with regards to social distancing guidelines in the intervening weeks, the long-term challenges for education posed by the ongoing pandemic remain broadly unchanged.