Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh & David Nott Foundation collaborate to address critical shortage of skilled surgical care in disaster zones
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), in partnership with the David Nott Foundation (DNF), has launched an intensive training course designed to equip surgeons with the vital skills needed to save lives in conflict and disaster zones.
Aimed at medical professionals who work in, or are planning to travel to, conflict and catastrophe zones around the world, the first course was held on June 3-7 at RCSEd’s Skills Lab in Edinburgh, with a second scheduled for December 2024.
The Hostile Environment Surgical Training UK (HEST-UK) course brought together UK-based surgeons and those from war-torn regions, including six participants from Ukraine and one from Libya, for a transformative week of intensive training.
The course – which equips surgeons to surgically treat a wide range of traumatic injuries, from head wounds to blast wounds – marks the first successful partnership between RCSEd’s Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare (FRRHH) and DNF, aiming to upskill surgeons who aspire to make a difference in the humanitarian space.
Professor Angus Watson, FRRHH Executive Committee Member, who helped facilitate the course, said: “The impact of this course has already been profound, and will save countless lives in future.
“By combining DNF’s expertise with RCSEd’s dedication to professional standards in humanitarian healthcare, this partnership promises to empower medical professionals and add to their skillset and provide crucial care in the most difficult of circumstances.”
The HEST-UK course offers a unique and rigorous training experience, drawing on the extensive frontline expertise of Professor David Nott, Co-Founder of the David Nott Foundation, who has over 30 years of experience in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.
Participants are trained in a broad range of trauma care skills, from triage and head wounds to penetrating injuries and obstetric emergencies, preparing them as generalist trauma surgeons ready to provide care in any situation.
Dr. Israar Ul-Haq, a doctor specialising in urgent and pre-hospital care based in West Midlands, near Birmingham, joined a previous HEST-UK course to refine his trauma surgery skills before deploying to Gaza. His experience in Gaza’s crisis zones underscored the real-world impact of the training.
He said: “The course impacted every aspect of my work in Gaza, such as understanding the local environment and the types of injuries we encountered. Techniques like thoracotomy and bleeding control learned during the course became standard procedures in our daily practice.
“Whether it was performing chest drains, managing blast injuries, or treating burns, the training equipped me with the skills I needed.”
The course offers a strong progression from FRRHH’s Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare Course, launched back in 2021.
Professor Rowan Parks, President of RCSEd, commented: “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the David Nott Foundation and the tremendous impact of the Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST-UK) course.
“This collaboration represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to support and equip surgeons who are committed to providing life-saving care in the most challenging and austere environments, through innovative and accessible training programmes.”
Elly Nott, Co-Founder of the David Nott Foundation, said: “Wherever there is conflict, there is a need for well-trained doctors to provide safe, skilled surgical care. We are delighted to join forces with the RCSEd to run Hostile Environment Surgical Training-UK, a course dedicated to preparing surgeons for the injuries they encounter and treat in war.
“Our programme is taught by surgeons with decades of experience in conflict and catastrophe zones and informed by our values of compassion, excellence and resilience.”
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