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Surgical specialties

General Surgery Diploma

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A live online diploma in general surgery, built around the decisions that matter most: the acutely unwell surgical patient, the acute abdomen, emergency bowel surgery, bleeding and trauma, the common elective operations every general surgeon does, and cancer pathways, the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and special groups.

Teaching is anchored on current UK and European guidance, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) and the World Society of Emergency Surgery, with US differences flagged where they change practice. Twenty-five weekly sessions across five modules, taught live by practising surgeons you can question.

Course director
To be announced
Format
25 live weekly sessions on Zoom, in 5 modules
Dates
Confirmed when enrolment opens

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Laparoscopic instruments passing through a single access port in the navel of a patient's prepared abdomen, surrounded by blue surgical drapes.
Image: single-incision laparoscopic surgery by Ross et al., Diagnostic and Therapeutic Endoscopy (2010) via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Who it is for

Senior trainees, fellows and early-career consultants in general surgery, and surgeons who cover the emergency general surgery rota, worldwide.

The programme

25 one-hour sessions in 5 modules, each with its learning objectives. This is the draft programme: the course director reviews and refines it before enrolment opens, so session titles may change.

Module 1 · Sessions 1 to 5The acutely unwell surgical patient and perioperative care

  1. 1. Recognising and escalating the deteriorating surgical patient

    • Assess a deteriorating surgical patient using a structured ABCDE approach and NEWS2
    • Apply NICE NG253 risk stratification to start sepsis treatment within the recommended time
    • Identify when source control needs an operation or radiological drainage today
    • Escalate to a senior surgeon and critical care with a clear, structured handover

  2. 2. Risk, consent and shared decisions before emergency surgery

    • Calculate and document an objective mortality risk before emergency laparotomy
    • Explain the material risks of surgery and the alternatives, including not operating, in plain language
    • Agree ceilings of care with the patient, family and anaesthetist before surgery
    • Record a consent discussion that meets GMC guidance

  3. 3. The emergency laparotomy pathway

    • Plan an emergency laparotomy against NELA standards from admission to theatre
    • Prioritise theatre access by clinical urgency
    • Arrange the right level of postoperative care using the calculated risk
    • Use local NELA data to identify one improvement to the pathway

  4. 4. Enhanced recovery and perioperative optimisation

    • Optimise anaemia, diabetes and anticoagulation before elective surgery
    • Apply the core elements of an enhanced recovery pathway to a major abdominal operation
    • Select patients suitable for day-case or short-stay surgery
    • Audit compliance with an enhanced recovery pathway

  5. 5. Fluids, nutrition and postoperative complications

    • Prescribe maintenance and replacement intravenous fluids in line with NICE CG174
    • Identify patients who need nutrition support and choose the route
    • Recognise an anastomotic leak or intra-abdominal collection early and plan its management
    • Grade postoperative complications using the Clavien-Dindo classification
Module 2 · Sessions 6 to 10The acute abdomen

  1. 6. Imaging the acute abdomen

    • Select the right first imaging test for common acute abdominal presentations
    • Interpret key CT findings of perforation, ischaemia, obstruction and collections
    • Minimise radiation exposure in young and pregnant patients
    • Decide when the clinical picture justifies surgery without further imaging

  2. 7. Acute appendicitis

    • Stratify a patient with suspected appendicitis using a validated score
    • Choose between imaging, observation and surgery for each risk group
    • Counsel a patient on antibiotics first versus appendicectomy using current trial evidence
    • Manage an appendix mass or abscess and plan follow-up

  3. 8. Gallstone disease in the emergency setting

    • Grade acute cholecystitis using the Tokyo Guidelines 2018
    • Plan index admission laparoscopic cholecystectomy when it is safe
    • Select patients for cholecystostomy and plan their interval care
    • Plan investigation and clearance of common bile duct stones with the endoscopist

  4. 9. Acute pancreatitis

    • Diagnose and classify acute pancreatitis using the Revised Atlanta criteria
    • Deliver early fluid resuscitation and nutrition in line with current guidelines
    • Recognise infected necrosis and plan a step-up approach with radiology and endoscopy
    • Time cholecystectomy after gallstone pancreatitis

  5. 10. Small bowel obstruction

    • Identify CT and clinical signs that need urgent surgery in small bowel obstruction
    • Apply a water-soluble contrast protocol for adhesional obstruction
    • Decide when conservative management has failed
    • Plan a safe laparoscopic or open approach for obstruction
Module 3 · Sessions 11 to 15Emergency general surgery: bowel, bleeding and trauma

  1. 11. Large bowel obstruction and colonic volvulus

    • Distinguish mechanical large bowel obstruction from pseudo-obstruction
    • Choose between resection, defunctioning stoma and stent for malignant obstruction
    • Manage sigmoid volvulus with endoscopic decompression and plan definitive care
    • Recognise an impending caecal perforation

  2. 12. Acute diverticulitis

    • Grade acute diverticulitis using CT findings
    • Select patients for outpatient care and for antibiotics in line with NICE NG147
    • Choose between drainage, Hartmann's procedure and primary anastomosis for perforated disease
    • Advise a patient on elective resection after recovery

  3. 13. Perforation and intra-abdominal sepsis

    • Plan source control for perforation and peritonitis
    • Repair a perforated peptic ulcer and choose when to convert or resect
    • Choose antibiotics and a duration of therapy after source control
    • Decide when to leave the abdomen open or plan a relook

  4. 14. Gastrointestinal bleeding and acute mesenteric ischaemia

    • Stratify upper and lower GI bleeding using Glasgow-Blatchford and Oakland scores
    • Sequence endoscopy, CT angiography and embolisation with colleagues
    • Decide when surgery is needed to stop bleeding
    • Recognise acute mesenteric ischaemia and plan revascularisation or resection with vascular surgeons

  5. 15. Abdominal trauma and damage control surgery

    • Assess the injured abdomen within a structured primary survey
    • Select haemodynamically stable patients for non-operative management of solid organ injury
    • Perform the decision steps of a damage control laparotomy
    • Transfer an injured patient within a trauma network with a safe handover
Module 4 · Sessions 16 to 20Elective general surgery

  1. 16. Inguinal and femoral hernia

    • Advise a patient on watchful waiting versus repair using HerniaSurge guidance
    • Choose between open and laparoscopic repair for a given patient
    • Manage an incarcerated or strangulated groin hernia
    • Assess and manage chronic pain after groin hernia repair

  2. 17. Ventral and incisional hernia

    • Close a midline laparotomy using a technique that lowers the risk of incisional hernia
    • Select mesh type and position for an incisional hernia repair
    • Recognise when a complex abdominal wall case needs referral to a specialist unit
    • Manage mesh infection and other mesh complications

  3. 18. Safe cholecystectomy and bile duct injury

    • Achieve and document the critical view of safety
    • Choose a bail-out option when the anatomy cannot be defined
    • Recognise a bile duct injury during or after cholecystectomy
    • Refer a bile duct injury to a hepatobiliary unit with the right investigations

  4. 19. Benign anorectal and pilonidal disease

    • Diagnose common anorectal conditions on history and examination
    • Drain a perianal abscess safely and plan follow-up for a fistula
    • Choose a treatment for haemorrhoids and fissure that matches severity
    • Choose a pilonidal operation that balances recurrence and recovery

  5. 20. Endocrine surgery for the general surgeon

    • Assess a thyroid nodule and decide who needs ultrasound and fine needle aspiration
    • Identify patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who should be offered surgery
    • Plan work-up of an adrenal incidentaloma in line with the 2023 guideline
    • Recognise and manage hypocalcaemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after neck surgery
Module 5 · Sessions 21 to 25Cancer pathways, special groups and professional practice

  1. 21. Suspected cancer pathways and the MDT

    • Apply NICE NG12 criteria to refer suspected cancer
    • Use FIT results to prioritise colorectal investigation in line with NICE DG56
    • Present a case at an MDT meeting with the information needed for a decision
    • Break bad news using a structured approach

  2. 22. The older and frail surgical patient

    • Assess frailty and its effect on surgical risk
    • Apply the CPOC frailty guideline to plan perioperative care
    • Prevent, recognise and manage postoperative delirium
    • Lead an end-of-life discussion when surgery will not help

  3. 23. The acute abdomen in pregnancy and in children

    • Assess an acute abdomen in pregnancy with the obstetric team
    • Plan safe laparoscopy in pregnancy using SAGES guidance
    • Recognise the child who needs transfer to a paediatric surgical centre
    • Stabilise a child with an acute abdomen before transfer

  4. 24. Surgical site infection and antimicrobial stewardship

    • Apply NICE NG125 measures to prevent surgical site infection
    • Choose antibiotic prophylaxis and stop it on time
    • Recognise necrotising soft-tissue infection and arrange urgent debridement
    • Use local antimicrobial stewardship data to change practice

  5. 25. Complex case review and professional practice

    • Apply the course to complex emergency and elective cases in a panel discussion
    • Present a complication at a morbidity and mortality meeting to drive learning
    • Fulfil the professional duty of candour after harm
    • Plan your own development towards a general or subspecialty practice

What the diploma includes

  • 25 live sessions on Zoom, one evening a week, with recordings for the weeks you miss.
  • Practising specialists teaching live, so you can put your questions to them.
  • Weekly MCQs and a final written assessment.
  • A digital certificate carrying your final classification.

Lead or teach the General Surgery Diploma

We are looking for a course director and faculty from the specialty. Sessions are one hour in the UK evening, live on Zoom, and paid.

Apply to teach