ArticleBJS open2021
The quantitative impact of COVID-19 on surgical training in the United Kingdom.
Article in BJS open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 67 citations in OpenAlex.
- Surgical trainee burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2023Pooled it
- Virtual Reality Mastoidectomy as Precadaver Training for Novices: A Randomized Crossover Study.The Laryngoscope · 2026Trial
- Tele-mentoring - a way to expand laparoscopic simulator training for medical students over large distances: a prospective randomized pilot study.BMC medical education · 2023Trial
- Virtual classroom proficiency-based progression for robotic surgery training (VROBOT): a randomised, prospective, cross-over, effectiveness study.Journal of robotic surgery · 2023Trial
- Trends in kidney stone disease: a 5-year update of stone management in England and Scotland.BJU international · 2026Article
- Balloon sinuplasty: does a model simulator improve ENT trainee competence?Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2026Article
- A quantitative approach to understanding the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on training opportunities for neurosurgical trainees in England.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2026Article
- Operative experience in paediatric orthopaedics in UK trainees achieving a Certificate of Completion of Training in trauma and orthopaedic surgery: A descriptive analysis of national eLogbook data.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2026Article
- Comparison of orthopaedic specialty registrar training opportunities in trusts with and without an elective surgical hub: a review of administrative data.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2026Article
- Barriers to Wellness Among General Surgery Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Analysis of Survey Responses.JMIR perioperative medicine · 2025Article
- Review
- The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the surgical training volume in the North Denmark Region: a cohort study.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- An Analysis of Trainees' Operative Experiences Over the Past 16 Years Based on the Requirements of the New 2021 Cardiothoracic Surgery Curriculum in the United Kingdom and Ireland.European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2025Article
- Article
- Educational needs of the EAES young surgeons.Surgical endoscopy · 2024Article
- Article
- Regional Elective Day Procedure Centre Pilot- the solution to waiting lists and trainee deficit in the reshaping of services following COVID-19?The Ulster medical journal · 2024Article
- Teaching Basic Surgical Skills Using a More Frugal, Near-Peer, and Environmentally Sustainable Way: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR perioperative medicine · 2023Article
- Article
- "It's making me think outside the box at times": a qualitative study of dynamic capabilities in surgical training.Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCOVID-19 has had a global impact on all aspects of healthcare including surgical training. This study aimed to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on operative case numbers recorded by surgeons in training, and annual review of competency progression (ARCP) outcomes in the UK.
methodsAnonymized operative logbook numbers were collated from electronic logbook and ARCP outcome data from the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme database for trainees in the 10 surgical specialty training specialties.Operative logbook numbers and awarded ARCP outcomes were compared between predefined dates. Effect sizes are reported as incident rate ratios (IRR) with 95 per cent confidence intervals.
resultsSome 5599 surgical trainees in 2019, and 5310 in surgical specialty training in 2020 were included. The IRR was reduced across all specialties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (0.62; 95 per cent c.i. 0.60 to 0.64). Elective surgery (0.53; 95 per cent c.i. 0.50 to 0.56) was affected more than emergency surgery (0.85; 95 per cent c.i. 0.84 to 0.87). Regional variation indicating reduced operative activity was demonstrated across all specialties. More than 1 in 8 trainees in the final year of training have had their training extended and more than a quarter of trainees entering their final year of training are behind their expected training trajectory.
conclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on surgical training in the UK. Urgent, coordinated action is required to minimize the impacts from the reduction in training in 2020.
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Registered trials
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