The ICENI Centre 

The ICENI Centre  in Colchester goal is to bring together leaders in healthcare to share their skills, knowledge and experience of best practice, through a diverse range of learning resources.

The ICENI Centre first class facilities and training is available to all, from aspiring NHS employees of the future, today’s undergraduates and clinicians on a career pathway from FY1 through to consultants. When the laparoscopic revolution began in the UK in 1989, Colchester was one of a few hospitals that embraced the challenge that has completely altered abdominal surgery.

The first course on laparoscopic cholecystectomy took place at the centre in 1992 and in the following years courses in laparoscopic bile duct exploration, groin and incisional hernia repair, anti-reflux surgery and colorectal surgery followed. The ICENI reputation for teaching and training grew over the years attracting some of the best surgical trainees and fellows from the UK and abroad.

The first purpose-built laparoscopic operating theatre in the UK was opened in 2005 and Colchester established the identity as The ICENI Centre, but without a physical presence.

The activities in both teaching and research attracted the attention of Anglia Ruskin University, which resulted in a state of the art building for training, research and development. The new building was formally opened by the then Minister of Health, in 2011.

With the new facilities comprising a lecture theatre linked to the operating theatres, seminar rooms, skills laboratory and a mock operating theatre, there have expansion in courses into gynaecology, orthopaedics and urology. From 2014 they added cadaveric courses in Trans-anal Total Mesorectal Excision and Complex Abdominal Wall repair. More recently new courses on patient safety and human factors have been developed to address the non-technical skills that are so important for surgical teams and the annual Controversies Conference on Rectal Cancer in the autumn, is a fixture in the surgical calendar. 

The centre provides courses in:

• General Surgery

Gastrointestinal anastomosis workshop

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair

Bile duct and advanced laparoscopic surgery course

Complex abdominal wall repair

Older patients - an emerging challenge in surgery 

• Colorectal
• Robotic training
• Anaesthesia 
• cardiology
• Core Surgery
• ENT
• Gastroenterology
• General practice
• Human factors
• International anal fistula masterclass
• Morphine sparing and ERAS course
• Oncology
• Radiology
• rectal cancer series
• Vascular