Specialty Status Application Update

We were asked by the GMC to submit a proposal for a separate speciality for Breast Surgery. We have now received some limited feedback:

It is not possible to determine if a new specialty of Breast Surgery is needed without some evaluation of the impact of the breast special interest pathway in the new general surgery curriculum.  An assessment of the range of relevant competences by newly qualified CCT holders and an indication of the proportion of general surgeons acquiring these skills, as the new General Surgery curriculum is embedded, is needed.  Then gap mapping and training capacity consideration can help us address the question of whether credentials could provide an effective alternative way of addressing the shortfall of breast surgeons.

We plan to seek further detail regarding the feedback from stakeholders and gather evidence of the impact of the new curriculum on both breast trainees and the wider training environment. We aim to ensure that we are training the best workforce for the delivery of the highest standards of breast cancer care going forward.  For our surgical trainees, we need to ensure they are able to access the most appropriate training for their consultant careers.

We will keep the membership updated.

Chris Holcombe

ABS President