The Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) GP School includes some of the most attractive parts of Britain. It stretches from Canterbury in the east to Chichester in the west and includes the vibrant city of Brighton. The area benefits from proximity to London and world-class rail and air links to Europe and beyond.
About KSS programmes
The KSS GP School covers a population of around 5.1 million people. There is one School of General Practice which supports individual training programmes clustered around the Acute NHS Trusts.
The geography is divided into patches: East Kent, West Kent, East Surrey, West Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex. There are 12 main GP Training Programme areas, which are:
- Kent – Dartford, East Kent (Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet), Medway, and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells
- Surrey – Chertsey, CRESH (Crawley and East Surrey), Epsom, Frimley, and Guildford
- Sussex – Brighton and Mid Sussex, Chichester and Worthing, and East Sussex (Eastbourne and Hastings).
For further information about the KSS GP Training Programme areas, please contact your local Training Programme Director.
East Kent
The East Kent patch includes the towns of Ashford, Canterbury, Margate, Dover and rural areas of Kent, including the Kent coast.
Ashford has the advantage of having an international rail link connecting it to London and continental Europe, whilst Canterbury is a site of national historical interest.
The coastal area is increasingly under development. Towns along the Thames Estuary are popular with those living in the capital and offer a range of shopping and dining experiences, whilst Dover provides ferry links to Europe.
Margate is a traditional seaside town and is host to the Turner Contemporary gallery. There are opportunities for rural and maritime pastimes throughout the area.
During GP training, hospital placements could include:
- Accident and Emergency
- Paediatrics
- Palliative care
- Psychiatry and General Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Ophthalmology
- Trauma and Orthopaedics
- Rheumatology.
There are also rotations in more specialised medical rotations including:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology and diabetes
- Gastroenterology
- Respiratory medicine
- Stroke care.
Hospital placement locations include:
West Kent
The West Kent patch includes the towns of Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, the Medway towns such as Rochester, Chatham and Sittingbourne and Dartford, as well as the Isle of Sheppey and smaller towns such as Tonbridge and Sevenoaks and rural areas.
Dartford and Gravesend lie where the garden of England meets London – it is only 20 miles away from the capital. Charles Dickens is closely associated with the area and there is a fine maritime history.
The Medway towns are an up and coming area with good links to London and great shopping at the large malls of Bluewater and Lakeside (just over the Thames). Tunbridge Wells is a famous spa town and Maidstone is the largest town in the area with a good range of entertainment and shopping.
West Kent is well served with motorways linking it to the capital and on to Europe. West Kent also has many historic properties and National Trust sites.
During GP training, hospital placements could include:
- Accident and Emergency
- Care of the Elderly
- ENT
- Paediatrics
- Palliative care
- Psychiatry and General Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Trauma and Orthopaedics.
Hospital placement locations include:
East Surrey
The East Surrey patch covers both East Surrey and Crawley. This includes towns such as Horley, Reigate, Oxted and the village of Lingfield. Many towns in the area are considered as commuter towns due to the proximity with London.
Lingfield Park Resort is a popular racecourse in the area and hosts many fixtures throughout the year.
Crawley is a large town in West Sussex situated in between London and Brighton. It is well known as being the home of Gatwick Airport which has encouraged residential and economic growth across the town.
During GP training, hospital placements could include:
- Accident and Emergency
- Care of the Elderly
- ENT
- General medicine
- General surgery
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Trauma and Orthopaedics
- Urology.
Hospital placements locations include:
West Surrey
The West Surrey patch includes the towns of Frimley, Camberley, Ashford (Middlesex), Woking, Chertsey, Guildford and rural areas of Surrey together with Aldershot and Farnborough on the Hampshire borders.
Frimley and Camberley are located towards the west of the region and both towns have good rail and road connections to London and out towards the West.
Close by are the Thames and the historic towns of Windsor and Eton together with Windsor Great Park; the Magna Carta was signed at a spot nearby. Farnborough is famous for its annual air show and Aldershot has a long association with the British Army.
Guildford is often ranked as one of the safest and desirable towns in which to live in the UK. It has good shopping and is surrounded by attractive countryside. The smaller towns all have good rail and road connections to London.
During GP training, hospital placements could include:
- Accident and Emergency
- Care of the Elderly
- ENT
- General Medicine
- General surgery
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Palliative Care
- Psychiatry
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Trauma and Orthopaedics
- Vascular surgery.
There are also rotations in more specialised medical rotations including:
- Cardiology
- Community medicine
- Respiratory medicine.
Hospital placement locations include:
East Sussex
The programme stretches from Seaford along the south coast, Newhaven, Eastbourne, Bexhill, Hastings and the ancient town of Rye. Inland you’ll find historic Battle, the market towns of Uckfield and Lewes and many picturesque villages.
Eastbourne boasts sailing and other water sports and great walking in the South Downs National Park. It’s the home of the pre-Wimbledon ladies tennis tournament and a four day spectacular air show. It boasts great shopping and eating, three good golf courses, theatres, cinemas, museums and exhibitions, with excellent rail and road links to Brighton and London.
During GP training, hospital rotations might include:
- Accident and Emergency
- Care for the Elderly
- General Medicine
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Orthopaedics.
Hospital placement locations include:
Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex covers the areas of Horsham, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill. The scheme often pairs with Brighton.
Many of the towns in the area are commuter towns with many residents working at Gatwick Airport.
Brighton is a vibrant city known for its bohemian spirit and joie de vivre with a long history of diversity and tolerance (as well as seagulls). Nestled in the South Downs National Park the city offers the perfect balance of live and tranquillity.
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During GP training, hospital rotations might include:
- Accident and Emergency
- ENT
- Learning Difficulties
- Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Ophthalmology
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Substance Misuse
- Trauma and Orthopaedics.
Hospital placement locations include:
West Sussex
The West Sussex patch includes the towns of Worthing and Chichester. The patch extends along the coast to include towns such as Bognor Regis and Littlehampton and inland to towns such as Billingshurst, Henfield and Pulborough.
Chichester offers a compact historic centre with good access to a range of yachting and sailing opportunities. Worthing is a traditional seaside town with a full range of amenities.
The countryside includes the scenic town of Arundel, walking on the South Downs. and a selection of small semi-rural communities well placed for Gatwick Airport and road and rail connections to London.
During GP training, hospital rotations might include:
- Accident and Emergency
- Care of the Elderly
- ENT
- General Medicine
- General Surgery
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Palliative Care
- Psychiatry.
Hospital placement locations include: