Gastroenterology

About

The KSS Gastroenterology Training programme is broad based, delivered over a period of five years, and is led by Nik Patel, Head of School, and Dr Fergus Chedgy and Dr Matthew Cowan, Training Programme Directors. To find out more about their roles visit the Meet the Team webpage.

Gastroenterology, which includes the specialty of Hepatology, is one of the main receiving medical specialties. The emphasis is on developing clinicians who are not only skilled in the management of outpatient and in-patient gastrointestinal conditions, but who also provide a safe and competent endoscopic practice. The interface with General Internal Medicine remains strong and the dual accreditation programme with G(I)M  provides a sound base for practice either at district general hospitals or academic centres.

The basic Gastroenterology curriculum developed by the JRCPTB in association with the Specialty Advisory Committee is delivered at all the training hospitals in HEE KSS. In addition, The Royal Surrey County Hospital and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals not only provide Hepatology and Nutrition training but also exposure to Academic Gastroenterology at the University sites to which these hospitals are affiliated. Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, is also an accredited Nutrition training centre.

Where do trainees train?

Of the five training years, four are based at district general hospitals (DGH) in KSS and one at a tertiary centre in KSS or London. During the one year at a tertiary centre, trainees gain a subspecialty experience tailored to their training needs. This will normally be undertaken in the ST6 year, but for trainees with rapid achievement of basic GI competences at ARCP this may be during the ST5 year.

The geographic spread of the KSS rotation is one of the largest in the UK and to minimise travel, trainees are allocated to East and West rotations across KSS. The expectation is that most of the training will be delivered within the East or West rotation locations in KSS.

The DGH allocation for the first two years of the training programme (ST3 and ST4) is usually predefined (and will be known at the recruitment stage). To maintain equity of access to specific training opportunities, some movement of trainees between sectors may be required.

KSS East rotation

Kent
  • William Harvey Hospital, Ashford – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
  • Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother Hospital, Margate – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
  • Maidstone Hospital, Maidstone – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
  • Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
  • Medway Maritime Hospital, Medway – Medway NHS Foundation Trust
  • Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford – Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Surrey
  • Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust (tertiary post for ST5-7)
Sussex
  • Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (tertiary post for ST5-7)

KSS West rotation

Surrey
  • East Surrey Hospital, Redhill – Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
  • St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey – Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley – Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
  • Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust (tertiary post for ST5-7)
Sussex
  • Conquest Hospital, St. Leonards-on-Sea – East Sussex Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
  • Eastbourne District General Hospital, Eastbourne – East Sussex Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
  • Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (tertiary centre)
  • Worthing Hospital, Worthing – Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (tertiary post for ST5-7)

To find out more about each training location, please visit the Local Education Provider webpage.

London tertiary post rotations

Some tertiary experience will be hosted by one of the London Teaching Hospitals. For most trainees, depending on availability, this will be in one of the South London Hospitals:

Trainees may access other hospitals in North London, including the Liver Unit at either:

The Hepatology curriculum delivery is available via the Royal Surrey County and Royal Sussex County Hospital in KSS, as well as the following in London:

Specialty clinics

All HEE KSS hospitals offer specialty clinics in either inflammatory bowel disease or viral hepatitis, often both. In addition, most hospitals have specialist nurses that support the care of patients with these chronic illnesses. The training opportunities offered in such clinics, coupled with audit and research activity, is usually reflected in high numbers of research presentations at regional and national conferences.

Endoscopy training

All the training centres in the region offer JAG accredited endoscopy units for training. It is anticipated that all trainees will achieve certification for diagnostic endoscopy in the ST4 year and will have made progress towards certification for diagnostic colonoscopy. ERCP training is available at all training centres according to the stage of training and other individual circumstances. Opportunities for advanced endoscopy are available throughout the region with centres offering Endoscopic Ultrasound, Spyglass ERCP and Advanced Luminal Endoscopy training.

Structured training/teaching days

During a year, nine teaching days are conducted with a curriculum-mapped programme. These teaching days are delivered at a range of venues and some are shared with the South London Gastroenterology training programme. This includes teaching days at St George’s, St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital. In addition the South Thames Regional BSG meeting provides postgraduate teaching with a strong national and international faculty. Attendance at the British Society of Gastroenterology Conference and the Postgraduate Day is also encouraged.

SOUTH THAMES AND KSS GASTRO-ENTEROLOGY REGIONAL TRAINING DAYS CALENDAR-2024-2026

DATE SUBJECT HOST CONTACT  
Tues 16th Jan 2024  IBD Emailed a reminder 8/9/23 Medway Irfan Khan irfan.khan3@nhs.net  
Feb – 2024-TBC Pan-London Liver Day Emailed for confirmation of date 19/10/23 Kings  Debbie Shawcross debbie.shawcross@nhs.net   
Fri 8th Mar 2024 Regional BSG Emailed for confirmation of date 19/10/23 RCP David Reffitt David.reffitt@nhs.net 
Fri 10th May 2024 St Georges Teaching Day Deferred from April  St Georges Sarah Clark Sarah.clark@stgeorges.nhs.uk  
End of May – 2024-TBC Pan-Thames Training Day RSM Robert Logan robert.logan@nhs.net  
Thur 20th Jun 2024 Hepatology – viral Guildford Charmiane Banks charmian.banks@nhs.net  
Tues 16th Jul 2024 IBD GSST Mark Samaan mark.samaan@gstt.nhs.uk  
Aug 2024 No meeting  _ _ 
Wed 18th Sept 2024 Hepatobiliary/ pancreatic disorders GSTT Terry Wong Terry.Wong@gstt.nhs.uk  
Oct – TBC* Endoscopy/ GI Sciences (genomics) Brighton Fergus Chedgy ferguschedgy@nhs.net 
October – TBC* K.E.N.T. Advanced Endoscopy Course Margate Zach Tsiamoulos ztsiamoulos@nhs.net 
7th & 8th Nov – 2024-TBC Kings Live Endoscopy Kings Shraddha Gulati shraddha.gulati@nhs.net  
Thur 12th Dec 2024 Nutrition including PN/ GI physiology St Georges Sarah Clark Sarah.clark@stgeorges.nhs.uk  
DATE SUBJECT HOST CONTACT  
Tues 15th Jan 2025 GI emergencies/ functional bowel disorders Woolwich  Amit Gera amit.gera@nhs.net  
Feb – 2025-TBC Pan-London Liver Day Kings  Debbie Shawcross debbie.shawcross@nhs.net   
Wed 19th Mar 2025 Regional BSG RCP London David Reffitt david.reffitt@nhs.net  
Apr – 2025-TBC St Georges Teaching Day St Georges Sarah Clark Sarah.clark@stgeorges.nhs.uk  
May – 2025-TBC Pan-Thames Training Day RSM Robert Logan robert.logan@nhs.net  
Thur 19th Jun 2025 IBD Frimley Jian Wu jian.wu1@nhs.net  
Tues 17th Jul 2025 Hepatology – non-viral/ acute liver failure  Kingston Ralph Greaves ralphgreaves@nhs.net  
Aug No meeting  _ _ 
Wed 17th Sept 2025 IBD/ GI sciences (genomics) GSTT Mark Samaan mark.samaan@gstt.nhs.uk  
Wed 15th Oct 2025 GI bleeding/ malabsorption  East Sussex Steven Fong steven.fong@nhs.net  
Nov – 2025TBC Kings Live Endoscopy Kings Shraddha Gulati shraddha.gulati@nhs.net  
Thur 11th Dec 2025 Nutrition, including PN Dartford Ben Warner b.warner@nhs.net  
DATE SUBJECT HOST CONTACT  
Tues 20th Jan 2026 IBD Tunbridge Wells Paul Blaker paul.blaker@nhs.net  
Feb – 2026-TBC Pan-London Liver Day Kings  Debbie Shawcross debbie.shawcross@nhs.net   
Wed 18th Mar 2026 Regional BSG RCP London  David Reffitt david.reffitt@nhs.net  
Apr – 2026 -TBC St Georges Teaching Day St Georges Sarah Clark Sarah.clark@stgeorges.nhs.uk  
May – 2026 -TBC Pan-Thames Training Day RSM Robert Logan robert.logan@nhs.net  
Thur 18th Jun 2026 GI cancer/ benign pancreatic disorders Ashford & St Peter’s Anton Gunasekera anton.gunasekera@nhs.net  
Tues 21st Jul 2026 Nutrition (focus on enteral)/ IBD  Epsom Philippa Youd philippa.youd@nhs.net 
Aug No meeting Moved to October for Regional BSG _ _ 
Wed 16th Sept 2026 Hepatobiliary/ GI physiology GSTT Terry Wong Terry.Wong@gstt.nhs.uk   
Wed 21st Oct 2026 Hepatology – viral Brighton Fergus Chedgy ferguschedgy@nhs.net  
Nov – 2026-TBC Kings Live Endoscopy Kings Shraddha Gulati shraddha.gulati@nhs.net  
Thurs 10th Dec 2026 Gastro in DGH/ hospital management/ career progression  PRUH Preeti Chopra preeti.chopra@nhs.net  

Out of Programme activity

Nationally, many Gastroenterology trainees take time out of programme (OOP) for either additional training (OOPT) that is not routinely available, or to spend a period of time in clinical or lab-based research (OOPR) that would lead to the award of a higher degree such as an MD or a PhD.

Most trainees who have taken up Gastroenterology training in HEE KSS have gone on to such programmes, both within the HEE KSS region and the London Academic centres. Our trainees have had high success rates at competitive interviews for research opportunities at a number of university hospitals.