Collaborative Overview of coronaVIrus impact on ORTHopaedic training in the UK (COVI - ORTH UK)
Published Date: 10th March 2021
Publication Authors: Choudhry N, Hillier D, Khan S, Nagy MT, Ormsby N
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.
Jayatilaki, MLT; Choudhry, N; Hillier, D; Khan, S; Nagy, M; Ormsby, N et al. (2021). Collaborative Overview of coronaVIrus impact on ORTHopaedic training in the UK (COVI - ORTH UK). The Surgeon. epub 10 Mar