Welcome to the East of England Vascular Surgery Website
The Vascular Surgery training programme is well established in the East of England, having ran since 2013. It is for doctors who have completed phase 1 of their higher surgical training and have successfully gained a National Training Number (NTN). The programme delivers curriculum focussed training producing competent doctors, able to deliver excellent outcomes as Vascular Surgeons.
The East of England boasts numerous historic cities and vibrant towns, a vast coast line with beautiful beaches, and rolling countryside with natural waterways, national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Colchester lays claim to England’s ancient Roman capital, Norwich is Britain’s best-preserved Medieval city and Cambridge is world-renowned for its University.
There are currently 6 Vascular Hubs in the region located in –
- Basildon (Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust)
- Bedford (Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
- Cambridge – Addenbrooke’s Hospital (Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
- Colchester (East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust)
- Norwich (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
- Stevenage – Lister Hospital (East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust)
These Hubs form the focus of training but some clinical activities may take place at spoke sites. Trainees will undertake a year of General Surgery in either ST3 or 4, which takes place in Basildon, Ipswich, Lister or King’s Lynn. They will then complete the rest of their training within the Vascular Hubs.
The rotation provides a fully comprehensive mix of open and endovascular surgery including complex aortic, thoracic aortic and deep venous surgery. There is a curriculum based regional teaching programme which covers the full syllabus over a 3-year period - thereby preparing trainees for the FRCS exit exam. Locally ran EVAR, peripheral endovascular and cadaveric dissection courses complement the formal teaching programme. The region also has access to state-of-the-art endovascular simulators located within the ICENI Centre (Colchester), Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Lister Hospital.
The current Training Programme Director (TPD) is Sohail Choksy, a Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon in East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals). There are currently 16 trainees within the specialty training programme, with a diverse background and good gender balance. The trainee representatives are Elafra Nour (ST4) and Hannah Burton (ST5).
The Deanery has an excellent record in the intercollegiate exam with 8 trainees passing in the last three years. There has also been a high retention of trainees with a number of local Consultant post appointments – this is a great testament to the quality of the training and hospitals.
There are many opportunities to develop and pursue interests in research, teaching and management. The deanery offers a range of fellowship programmes and various other non-clinical training experiences. Trainees are supported in undertaking out of programme experience (OOPE), out of programme research (OOPR) and less than full time working (LTFTW).
Currently there are:
- 2 trainees on OOPR undertaking PhD’s
- 2 trainees studying for a PGCert in Medical Education (funded by the Deanery)
- 1 trainee undertaking the Chief Resident Programme in management
There is an excellent range of trainers - several with a national reputation including recent past president of the vascular society. Furthermore, Addenbrooke’s Hospital regularly features on the BBC’s ‘Surgeons – At the edge of life’.
If you are looking to pursue a career in Vascular Surgery start with this link - https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/surgery/higher-surgery/vascular-surgery