Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

Director of Medical Education

Mr Varadarajan Kalidasan

Clinical Tutor

Dr Andrew Elkins
Dr Jerry Tibble

Foundation Training Programme Director(s)

Dr Philippa Hildick-Smith
Dr Kate Lankester
Mr Prodip Das
Mr Ketan Desai

Careers Tutor(s)

To be confirmed

Medical Education Manager

Ms Nora Tester

Medical Staffing Manager

Ms Clare Stankiewicz

Foundation Programme Administrator(s)

Mr Timothy Chatten – based at PRH

Postgraduate Centre

Postgraduate Centres are situated on both main hospital sites and are headed by the Director of Medical Education and supported by two Clinical Tutors. The role of the Euan Keat Education Centre, based at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) and The Sussex Postgraduate Centre based within the Audrey Emerton Building, Brighton (AEB) is to ensure that the training provided for postgraduate doctors working within the Trust meets the educational standards prescribed by the KSS Deanery and the GMC.

The Postgraduate Centre, Brighton is located on the ground floor of the AEB, which is opposite the main entrance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) and is a combined education facility for the Trust and Brighton & Sussex Medical School (BSMS). The AEB provides state of the art teaching facilities with 16 teaching rooms, 2 lecture theatres and a clinical skills lab.

The Education Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital is located on the second floor opposite the Library. The centre has two lecture theatres - one seats 125 (and is divisible into two separate seminar rooms each fully equipped with state of the art audio visual facilities) and an 80 seat lecture theatre. Each lecture theatre has a live link to the operating theatres. In addition, there are two further seminar rooms, one of which is a multi-purpose teaching room which is suitable for clinical skills workshops. This room is also equipped with an interactive whiteboard, video conferencing facilities and network points for some (Medical) IT training.

Accommodation

Accommodation is available but availability is limited.  Charges are made dependent on room size and site.

Social activities

There is a junior doctors’ mess which holds many social events. Trainees from all grades are encouraged to participate in events and in the organisational responsibilities for these.

Doctors' mess

The doctors’ mess at PRH is located on the second floor in the Obstetrics & Gynaecology department. The doctors’ mess at RSCH is adjacent to the Post Room at the rear of the Barry Building. Both facilities provide IT and kitchen facilities.

Library facilities

The training programme is supported by excellent Library facilities on both sites.

IT facilities

Excellent IT facilities are available in the Health Sciences Library at PRH and also in the Audrey Emerton Building Library at RSCH on a 24-hour basis.

Other facilities (Recreational or otherwise)

There are good coffee shops and general shop facilities on the ground floor of both the PRH and RSCH, with good restaurant facilities located on both sites. There is also a Costa Café on the ground floor of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital which is situated within the RSCH. The AEB also enjoys a restaurant on the top floor with stunning views across to the sea. Vending machines are also accessible outside the Library of the AEB 24-hours a day.

Local amenities/attractions

Haywards Heath is situated in the heart of the Sussex countryside with the town a short walk from the Hospital. There are many restaurants and bars, a leisure complex and a train station with easy access to Brighton, Gatwick and Crawley.

Brighton’s nightlife is legendary and boasts over 200 bars and pubs. It has a thriving music scene, the biggest arts festival in England and an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants within this truly diverse cultural city. The beautiful South Downs and stunning countryside that surround Brighton are right on the doorstep.

Transport links

Both hospitals are in easy reach of London with frequent trains to London Bridge and Victoria stations. We are fortunate in that both Haywards Heath and Brighton enjoy close proximity to the beautiful countryside of the South Downs and a free bus service runs hourly between each hospital site.

Parking arrangements

Limited pay and display parking is available at the RSCH, however Brighton has excellent public transport services. There is a free bus service for Trust staff operating between sites, and pay and display parking is available at PRH.

Click here for additional information regarding parking arrangements at BSUH.

Accolades/achievements of the trust

The Trust continues to achieve and provide excellent standards of patient care and offers exceptional teaching programmes delivered by highly skilled specialists. This year the Library and Knowledge Service gained recognition through a national NHS innovation award from the Strategic Health Library Leads. The award was for the Trust's unique "Knowledge Share" service, which delivers highly targeted and personalised notifications to local staff of all grades and professions about newly published evidence in their areas of interest. KnowledgeShare creates a personal connection between the library service and its users, leading to increased opportunities to ensure that education and service improvement are informed by the latest evidence.

Any additional information

The Brighton & Sussex University Hospital Trust is a major teaching hospital and works in partnership with Brighton & Sussex Medical School (BSMS) which is one of four new medical schools created as part of the government’s strategy to increase the number of qualified doctors from the UK working in the NHS. BSMS continues to be one of the most popular choices for medical students in the UK.

The Trust has two main hospital sites named the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) which includes Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre in Haywards Heath, and the Royal Sussex County Hospital which includes the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton. The Sussex Eye Hospital is also situated adjacent to the RSCH campus. The Trust employs approximately 6,000 staff, is the regional treatment centre for Nephrology, Neurosciences and Cardiothoracic Surgery and is recognized for providing a high standard of care within a large range of specialties. Therefore, we are confident that BSUH can satisfy all your training needs. It is a great place to work and train in a stimulating and innovative environment.

The 3T's Redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The 3T's stand for Teaching, Trauma and Tertiary Care. Teaching features in the title of the redevelopment, albeit in an acronym because investment in education at BSUH is one of the key strategic aims of the project. Several features of the new buildings have been designed to support our further development as a teaching hospital, including: simulation suite, dedicated meeting and teaching suite, enhanced ITwith a wireless network throughout and improved access to computers in clinical areas, plus a new doctors mess so our trainee doctors can access purpose-built support accommodation on site. Further info on 3Ts at http://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/about-us/hospital-redevelopment/ 

Induction/shadowing arrangements

In previous years F1 shadowing has been available on an individual arrangement basis. For F1s who started in August 2011 a set shadowing week was arranged for the last week of July. This year (2012) shadowing is now a national requirement and will run for 4 weekdays, starting Thursday 26th July and ending Tuesday 31st July.

Educational and clinical supervision

Every foundation trainee is allocated an educational supervisor for the whole year and a clinical supervisor for each post. It is expected that each trainee will arrange to meet up with their educational supervisor within the first two weeks of August and then at intervals throughout the year. Trainees should also arrange to meet their clinical supervisors within the first two weeks of each firm and again towards the end of each firm. Supervisors’ names and contact details will be given out to all trainees at induction.

It is the trainee’s responsibility to ensure that these meetings which are essential for sign-off take place at the expected/due times and that they are documented in the e-portfolio.

Teaching programme

There are 78 F1 posts and 69 F2 posts at BSUH. This includes 6 leadership posts and 12 academic posts. Rotations are within Medicine, Surgery, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Neuro-Surgery, General Practice, Cardiology, Otolaryngology, Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Elderly Medicine, Haematology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology , Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery, A & E, Nephrology, Psychiatry and Urology, ensuring Foundation Training Programmes provide a wide range of clinical experience. We expect Foundation doctors to undertake on average three hours of education per week. Part of this time is covered by the BSUH teaching programmes for F1 and F2 doctors and the rest is provided by teaching within departments. Trainees are allocated dates to attend ILS, ALERT, Simulation training or ALS as appropriate. The training programme is supported by excellent Library facilities on both sites with a dedicated Librarian to support Foundation trainees. We take careers advice and support very seriously. In 2011-12 all F1 trainees were offered one-to-one career interviews as well as a variety of other career counselling opportunities. There is well structured support of any trainees who experiences difficulties, either personal or professional and we have been praised by the STFS in how we support trainees through difficult times.

Tasters

There is an established policy for F2 study leave which works well. F2s are encouraged to take taster sessions between August and December where possible. This year F1s have also been allowed to take their taster sessions early, in the last few months of their F1 year (in lieu of taking it in F2) if this is more convenient.

Simulation

High fidelity training days are provided for all F1 trainees. These take place on the university campus and all previous trainees have enjoyed these tremendously.

Foundation doctor forums

Two or three trainee reps are appointed for each year group. Reps attend the foundation faculty meetings (quarterly) and bring feedback from their peer group to these meetings. They also have a role in disseminating information to the wider group and hold informal discussions at intervals with other foundation trainees.

Any additional information

The Director of Medical Education is the academic lead for postgraduate training within the Trust, and is supported by two Clinical Tutors, and four Foundation Programme Directors.

Dedicated administrative staff are based within the postgraduate centres on both sites to support you during your Foundation training.