Training in Turbulent
Times Faculty of Surgical Trainers Conference 2026 brings focus, challenge and practical solutions
Surgical training is facing sustained pressures. Workforce shortages, service demands, evolving curricula and a widening gap between what defines a day-one consultant and what employers increasingly require are reshaping the training landscape.
Against that backdrop, the Faculty of Surgical Trainers (FST) welcomed delegates to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Birmingham Regional Centre on 17 April for its 2026 Conference, Training in Turbulent Times – a day of practical learning, honest discussion and future-focused debate. Around 50 delegates from across the UK gathered to explore how trainers can continue to deliver high-quality surgical education in a changing environment.
Opening the conference, FST Chair Mr James Tomlinson encouraged attendees to use the day to share learning, exchange best practice and return to their own organisations with fresh ideas and renewed energy.
"I encourage you to take back ideas and energy to your local areas, and to cascade the lessons and messages you take away today."
He also invited members to share ideas and challenges with the Faculty's new Executive Committee as it shapes the next phase of FST development.
Challenging behaviours and strengthening culture
The conference opened with a thought-provoking session from Professor Ros Searle on unprofessional behaviour in healthcare and the cultural factors that allow it to persist.
Delegates considered how exclusion, silence, hierarchy and dependency can undermine psychological safety, staff wellbeing and patient care. The session highlighted the importance of early intervention, reflective leadership and systems that support people to raise concerns confidently.
"The standard we walk past is the standard we set."
The discussion reinforced a clear message: creating respectful training environments is a collective responsibility.
Better conversations, better training
A highlight of the programme was SurgSimLive, an interactive live debrief of a simulated trainer-trainee conversation led by Ms Lisa Hadfield-Law and Dr Emma Stapleton.
The session featured a live fictional interaction between trainer Mr James Shelton and trainee Ms Meg Baker, exploring how trainers can approach difficult conversations, deliver meaningful feedback and support trainees to improve performance and confidence. Delegates reflected that trainers often feel more confident discussing technical issues than behavioural ones, despite both being essential to safe and effective practice.
Practical coaching techniques, language frameworks and reflective approaches gave attendees tools they could apply immediately in their own settings.
Workshops: learning in practice
The afternoon offered delegates a choice of two parallel workshops, each exploring a different dimension of the trainer role.
Dr Maddy Greville Harris led a session on supporting trainees and trainers through adverse events, a topic that sits at the intersection of patient safety, wellbeing and professional resilience. Delegates explored how trainers can help those in their care navigate the emotional and professional impact of difficult clinical experiences, while also recognising the support needs of trainers themselves.
In a contrasting but complementary session, Dr Calum Arthur examined what surgical training can learn from the world of elite sport. Drawing on performance psychology and high-performance coaching models, the session challenged delegates to consider how the principles that develop elite athletes; structured feedback, mental resilience, deliberate practice and team culture can be applied to the surgical training environment.
Where does training go from here?
JCST Chair, Miss Esther McLarty, and Chair of COPSS, Mr Andy Garnham, examined major developments shaping the future of surgical training, including curriculum reform, national selection, portfolio pathways, workforce pressures and educator capacity.
Speakers highlighted the need for protected time for trainers, sustainable funding for education roles, effective use of simulation and digital learning, clearer accountability for training delivery, and training models that reflect future workforce needs.
The discussion also explored how changing clinical demands, including developments in trauma and military surgery, are influencing the skills future consultants will require.
How AI can support trainers
In a forward-looking closing session, Miss Abigail Burrows explored the opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence in surgical education.
Potential applications included personalised learning support, viva and interview preparation, assessment design, critical appraisal and tailored feedback. Delegates also heard the importance of maintaining robust human oversight and recognising that AI can enhance training but not replace expert trainers or real clinical experience.
"AI sits alongside the human experience."
Celebrating innovation and research
The conference also featured paper presentations showcasing innovation, research and emerging voices in surgical education. Delegates praised the high quality of submissions, with the winning presentation delivered by Sirat Lodhi - Analysis of Progression Predictors in Core Training: The Core Trainee Forum's APRICOT Study - a national analysis of differential attainment in ARCP outcomes drawing on the ISCP database. Differential attainment remains a significant and pressing issue in surgical training, and research of this kind represents an important contribution to a conversation that deserves greater attention across the profession.
Closing reflections
In her closing remarks, Miss Shireen McKenzie drew together the central themes of the day: challenge poor behaviour constructively; give behavioural feedback, not only technical feedback; support the human side of surgery; know trainees as individuals; and create environments where people can thrive.
"In turbulent times, those fundamentals matter more, not less."
Looking ahead
The Faculty of Surgical Trainers Conference 2026 demonstrated the Faculty's continued leadership in advancing high-quality surgical education. Through practical insight, honest discussion and a clear focus on solutions, the event equipped delegates to strengthen training in their own organisations and support the next generation of surgeons. The Faculty would like to thank its conference supporters, Wesleyan Financial Services and the Confederation of British Surgery, whose generosity helped make the event possible.
That momentum will continue beyond the conference. Applications for the FST Medal are now open, recognising excellence and commitment in surgical training, while the new Executive Committee is keen to hear from trainers across the UK about the challenges they face and how the Faculty can support them.
Those interested in membership or getting involved in the work of the Faculty are encouraged to contact fst@rcsed.ac.uk.
