About
The HEE KSS training programmes in Stroke Medicine provide a one year training post in high quality stroke services across the region. This will contribute to the award of a CCT in Stroke Medicine alongside your parent speciality.
The programme is led by Nik Patel, Head of School, and Kath Pasco, Training Programme Director. To find out more about their role visit the Meet the Team webpage.
To apply for a stroke training post in HEE KSS you will need to hold a training programme number in a parent speciality (see Stroke criteria for application) and have demonstrated an interest in stroke (see Stroke desirable criteria for application).
The post is usually undertaken as an OOPT and some of the training year may count towards your parent speciality training, depending on your parent training programme. Posts are allocated following application and competitive interview.
Choosing to train in HEE KSS will provide you with excellent learning opportunities and give you the skills and confidence to care for patients with stroke and stroke mimics. We have a regional neuroscience service in Brighton with neuro-intervention and other units provide inreach to hyperacute stroke services in South East London – St George’s Hospital and King’s College Hospital. All posts outreach to community services to provide excellent experience in managing stroke in the long term and to provide support and guidance on how we can allow patients the time and expertise to reach their full potential after a stroke.
All our posts will place a key emphasis on research and will provide experience in recruitment to national stroke trials. There is an expectation that you will participate in national stroke conferences and have the opportunity to present work and join trainees across the country at the annual trainees’ educational meeting arranged through The British Association of Stroke Physicians. We are a relatively small speciality and across the region our stroke trainees can meet to share learning and training opportunities.
Structured training
All our posts will provide training to cover all aspects of the stroke medicine curriculum. This is divided into three broad categories – acute stroke, prevention and rehabilitation. The individual training programmes will be tailored to the needs of trainees to help them gain the most from their year. Trainees can expect to become competent in the assessment and delivery of thrombolysis and have some experience of thrombectomy. All trainees will become competent in the assessment of transient neurological syndromes including TIA but also stroke mimics including migraine and seizure. The rehabilitation parts of the curriculum require training in the assessment of rehabilitation potential and in goal setting, and there are opportunities for more in-depth training in spasticity, continence and driving assessment post-stroke, amongst others.
Trainees are encouraged to take part in external learning opportunities including attending the UK Stroke Forum and the European Stroke conferences.
Where do trainees train?
We have three posts approved for stroke training in HEE KSS.
- Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust overseen by Dr Ingrid Kane
- Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley – Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust overseen by Dr Tilly Spiers
- William Harvey Hospital, Ashford – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust overseen by Dr David Hargroves
The provision of training posts in each county hopes to be trainee friendly and support all those interested in undertaking specialty training to access high quality posts across our region.
To find out more about each training location, please visit the Local Education Provider webpage.
Award of CCT in Stroke Medicine
During and at the end of the training year trainees will review their stroke competencies with their educational supervisors. Trainees will be required to attend and present their training competencies to the external stroke SAC and subject to approval will be awarded a CCT.
This award is then given at the end of parent programme training. There will be a requirement to demonstrate upkeep of skills gained, for example ongoing involvement in the delivery of hyperacute stroke care towards the end of training to be best prepared for working at consultant level.
How will the shape of training affect the specialty training year in Stroke Medicine?
At the moment it is not clear, but changes are planned for the implementation of stroke training within parent specialty curricula. This work is in progress. HEE remains committed to supporting high quality training programmes in Stroke Medicine and details of changes, if any, to the current programmes will be confirmed once final decisions have been made in line with shape of training.