Elsevier

The Surgeon

Volume 19, Issue 6, December 2021, Pages e331-e337
The Surgeon

Collaborative Overview of coronaVIrus impact on ORTHopaedic training in the UK (COVI - ORTH UK)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surge.2021.02.007Get rights and content

Highlights

  • COVID – 19 has had an impact on trauma and orthopaedic training.

  • COVID – 19 has affected trauma and orthopaedic training across the United Kingdom.

  • COVID – 19 has effected the delivery of regional teaching in trauma and orthopaedics.

Abstract

Introduction

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th of March 2020 with the NHS deferring all non-urgent activity from the 15th of April 2020. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on Trauma and Orthopaedic trainees nationally.

Methods

Trauma and Orthopaedic (T&O) specialty trainees nationally were asked to complete an electronic survey specifically on the impact of COVID-19 on their training. This UK based survey was conducted between May 2020 and July 2020.

Results

A total of 185 out of 975 (19%) T&O specialty trainees completed the survey. Redeployment was experienced by 25% of trainees. 84% of respondents had experienced a fall in total operating numbers in comparison with the same time period in 2019. 89% experienced a fall in elective operating and 63% experienced a fall in trauma operating. The pandemic has also had an effect on the delivery of teaching, with face to face teaching being replaced by webinar-based teaching. 63% of training programmes delivered regular weekly teaching, whilst 19% provided infrequent sessions and 11% provided no teaching.

Conclusion

This study has objectively demonstrated the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of T&O training.

Keywords

COVID–19
Coronavirus
Pandemic
Trauma & orthopaedics
Education
Training

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