NHS Grampian named as prestigious European fellowship training centre
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NHS Grampian is poised to become home to some of Europe’s top surgical trainees, after becoming an internationally recognised centre of excellence for training.
The north-east health board’s urology department has won the status for teaching fellows in stone and prostate cancer robotic surgery.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Michael Matheson said it was an “outstanding achievement”, during a visit to the health board.
NHS Grampian will now host trainees on behalf of the European Urology Scholarship Programme (EUSP).
Thomas Lam, consultant urological and robotic surgeon and clinical lead for the department, said it will allow the region to attract the “best-of-the-best”.
He added: “This is a great achievement for NHS Grampian and the urology department, and I want to thank all our staff for their efforts in gaining this prestigious recognition.
“I’m incredibly proud. This puts us on the map as an internationally recognised centre of excellence for training in robotic urological surgery.
“We were the first centre in Scotland to set up robotic-assisted surgery - with the help of the UCAN Charity and the NHS Grampian Charity - and our aim was always to establish a fellowship training programme.”
In 2016 NHS Grampian appointed its first robotic surgical fellow and now has its fourth.
Mr Lam added: “To be awarded this honour, you need a proven track record in delivering high-quality care and achieving excellent outcomes, being able to provide opportunities and support to trainees, and units must also demonstrate a high level of academic and research activities and prowess. We’ve excelled in these domains and we’re now reaping the benefits.
“We will now receive applications from all over Europe. The post receives significant funding from the EUSP, which is of great benefit to us as a board. The other additional benefit is that some fellows will end up staying on with us as consultants after their training.”
The health board is already benefiting from training previous fellows. Konstantinos Dimitropoulos, consultant urological and robotic surgeon, joined the unit as its first robotic fellow in 2016, later becoming a consultant and joining the robotic pelvic surgery team.
Mr Dimitropoulos said: “I moved to Aberdeen to become the unit’s first robotic fellow. I joined a team of highly skilled and experienced surgeons dedicated to constructive mentoring, who kept supporting me throughout my training. Everyone on the ward welcomed me so warmly, and helped me and my young family settle in the UK.
“Delivering high-quality care is the department’s commitment and as a robotic fellow you get trained to use a state-of-the-art surgical robot to make a difference in people’s lives.
“As a result, I was able to grow and refine my robotic surgical skills and lay the foundations for my future career as a consultant urological and robotic surgeon.”
He added he was “honoured” to become one of the department’s robotic pelvic surgeons.
Mr Matheson said: “This is an outstanding achievement for the innovative urology department at NHS Grampian and I would like to thank the staff for their exceptional efforts.
“The Scottish Government has supported the development of high-quality robotic-assisted surgery in Scotland with over £20 million in funding for purchasing surgical robots. This allows for less invasive procedures to take place and helps patients recover more quickly.
“As NHS Grampian’s experience shows, by providing more opportunities for surgeons to carry out robotic-assisted procedures we will attract a broader pool of surgeons to work here, helping us build a stronger NHS Scotland for the future. Achievements like the Board’s entry into the European Urology Scholarship Programme further enhance that offer.”
