Surgical First Assistants training programme now recruiting

Surgical First Assistants training programme now recruiting

The NHS Scotland Academy’s Surgical First Assistants (SFA) programme is one of four National Perioperative Training Programmes that support accelerated workforce development. SFA offers a significant reduction in training time without compromising educational or clinical standards. The 34-week programme does this via a curriculum that incorporates core and extended skills, a range of bespoke online resources, skills teaching, reflection and case-based work.

The SFA programme recruits non-medical perioperative practitioners - registered nurses (RN) and operating department practitioners (ODP) with at least 18 months relevant perioperative experience. Their role is to assist the operating surgeon within perioperative practice.

By developing registered perioperative practitioners into SFAs the programme can increase the capacity and capability of surgical teams across Scotland. The emphasis on technical skills is necessary for service provision and lets Boards focus on the delivery of practice-based experience and mentorship support for competency consolidation and early workforce integration.

The SFA programme aims to support NHS Boards in workforce development and diversification. It has adopted a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach to ensure the consistency and sustainability of a flexible and responsive surgical workforce (NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026).

The NHS Scotland Academy’s SFA programme acknowledges the expectations of the Perioperative Care Collaborative (Position Statement, 2018). This states that an SFA should have a level of knowledge and skills beyond the standard expected of a qualified perioperative practitioner.

The use of the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) SFA Competency Toolkit as a core training document helps facilitate the required level of training and skill acquisition for an SFA to provide assistance under the direct supervision of the operating surgeon. The inclusion of extended surgical skills in the programme recognises that surgery is complex, continuously evolving and requires a contemporary, agile, and appropriately trained workforce.

For more information about the training programme and how to apply, visit the Programme page on the NHS Scotland Academy website.

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