Changes in UK ophthalmology surgical training: analysis of cumulative surgical experience 2009–2015

OBJECTIVE To investigate changes in the patterns of cumulative surgical experience for ophthalmologists in the UK following the introduction of a new national training scheme. DESIGN Retrospective review of all surgical training records submitted to the UK Royal College of Ophthalmologists by trainees for the award of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) for the period 2009-2015. SETTING Secondary level care, UK. PARTICIPANTS 539 trainees achieving CCT over the 7-year study period. INTERVENTIONS Higher specialist training or ophthalmology specialist training. OUTCOME MEASURES Number of CCT awards by years and procedures performed for cataract surgery, strabismus, corneal grafts, vitreoretinal (VR) procedures, oculoplastics and glaucoma. RESULTS Cataract surgical experience showed little change with median number performed/performed supervised (P/PS) 592, IQR: 472-738; mean: 631. Similarly, the median number of strabismus (P/PS 34), corneal grafts (assisted, 9) and VR procedures (assisted, 34) appeared constant. There was a trend towards increasing surgical numbers for oculoplastics (median 116) and glaucoma (57). Overall case numbers for ophthalmic specialist training (OST) trainees (7-year training programme) were higher than higher surgical training (HST) trainees (4.5-year programme) with the exception of squint (P/PS), corneal grafts (P/PS) and VR cases (P/PS). CONCLUSIONS Overall case numbers reported at time of CCT application appear stable or with a marginal trend towards increasing case numbers. HST (4.5-year programme) case numbers do not include those performed before entry to HST, and although case numbers tended to be higher for OST trainees (7-year programme) compared with HST trainees, they were not proportionately so.