Surgeons bring in GCI for quality campaign
The Royal College of Surgeons has made the unusual move of drafting in agency support to promote a scheme which aims to boost surgical standards in Britain.
'The Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Project' is designed to improve surgical standards among the 18,000-plus surgeons in the UK. It involves a new national training scheme with nationwide standards, and 'competency-based assessments' throughout surgical training.
GCI will promote the initiative to surgeons and external stakeholders.
'There are a lot of bodies with an interest in this project, from individual surgeons to local health authorities,' said GCI UK healthcare MD Rhonda Smith. 'We're devising a plan with the college
until the new year, when the programme will begin.'
One of the challenges will be to overcome fears about the online system, said Smith. GCI aims to convince surgeons and interested parties that it is easy to use.
This year the college made headlines when its president, Bernard Ribeiro, spoke out about falling standards in the NHS and the need for more funding.
The college has never used a retained agency. Last year it turned to Barkers PR for a project to promote its 500th anniversary.
Smith has worked with Royal College of Surgeons staff on a previous comms project concerning cancer procedures.
