Is it feasible for surgical trainees to acquire JAG endoscopy accreditation by CCT - National online survey of UK trainees

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Riley

Higher surgical trainees often face difficulty achieving endoscopy competencies, prompting this UK national survey to map endoscopy exposure, identify training barriers, and explore actionable solutions. A 40-point electronic questionnaire was distributed to higher surgical trainees between 26/10/2020 and 11/06/2021, yielding 139 respondents. Findings show limited awareness and supervision, infrequent JAG certification, and widespread challenges, especially during COVID-19, affecting access to sessions and training lists.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Higher surgical training in the UK

Governance of endoscopy training in the UK

The impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on training

Methods

International Journal of Colorectal Disease (2026) 41:13 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-025-05058-7](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-025-05058-7) Is it feasible for surgical trainees to acquire JAG endoscopy accreditation by CCT? National online survey of UK trainees Adil N. Ahmad1 · Shafquat Zaman2,3 · Adewale Ayeni4 · Sauid Ishaq3 · Peter Waterland3 · Prajeesh Kumar3 · Sarah Mills5,6 · Akinfemi Akingboye3,7 Received: 13 May 2024 / Accepted: 7 December 2025 © The Author(s) 2026 Abstract Background Higher surgical trainees often struggle to attain endoscopy competencies. We aimed to obtain a national picture of higher surgical trainees’ endoscopy experience, highlight barriers to training, and explore potential solutions. Methods A 40-point electronic questionnaire was designed and disseminated to higher surgical trainees across the UK. Anonymous responses were collected and recorded from 26/10/2020 to 11/06/2021 . Results A total of 139 higher surgical trainees from 16 out of the 19 regional UK deaneries responded. 75.9%(82/108) had some endoscopy training, and 19.4%(21/108) had no endoscopic training. 27.8%(30/108) had performed over 200 procedures. 77.8%(105/135) were not made aware of endoscopy training requirements by their Training Programme Directors (TPDs) . 59.6%(65/109) had no named endoscopy supervisor. Only 49.1%(53/108) felt supported by their endoscopy trainers. Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy (JAG) certification was infrequent, and the highest levels, 14.4%(15/104), were achieved in oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD). Only 55.8%(24/43) of JAG-certified trainees felt competent in that procedure. 50.0%(7/14) of ST8 (final year trainee) respondents were not JAG certified in any procedure. 90.6%(96/106) faced challenges in gaining endoscopy training. The most common obstacles were the COVID-19 pandemic 87.9%(94/107), on-call commitments 80.2%(85/106), lack of allocated endoscopy sessions 80.2%(85/106), insufficient endoscopy training lists 76.4%(81/106), and competition with non-surgical trainees 64.2%(68/106) . Conclusions Our survey provides detailed evidence of the challenges faced by surgical trainees in gaining endoscopy training. Suggested solutions include allocated endoscopy trainers, dedicated endoscopy-only training blocks, and early guidance about endoscopy training and certification. Keywords Higher surgical training · Endoscopy · COVID-19 pandemic · Electronic questionnaire Introduction Previous literature has highlighted the challenges of endoscopy training during the COVID-19 pandemic [1 , 2] . This paper provides detailed evidence of the experience of higher surgical trainees in endoscopy from their perspective and the extent of the problem with obtaining training prior to CCT. It also suggests tangible solutions going forward. Akinfemi Akingboye is the guarantor of the manuscript. Extended author information available on the last page of the article Higher surgical training in the UK Higher surgical trainees in the UK are expected to gain a wide range of competencies by the time they attain their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), which formost trainees occurs at the end of a 6-year training programme (ST3–ST8) . In the first 4 years (ST3–ST6), the focus is on general surgery. At the end of the fourth year of training (ST6), trainees are expected to declare their choice of sub-speciality. This is followed by 2 years of focused sub-speciality training (ST7–ST8) . The Joint Committee on Surgical Training (JCST) General Surgery Curriculum of 2016 [3] set out target competencies in detail. Alongside on-call commitments, emergency/ elective operative proficiency with targets in both open and laparoscopic surgeries, outpatient clinics, teaching, post-graduate examinations, courses, participating in clinical audits, research, and management roles, trainees aiming to certify in upper gastrointestinal (UGI) or colorectal surgery can also aim to achieve compet

FAQs

What was the purpose of the national online survey?

To describe the endoscopy experience of higher surgical trainees in the UK, highlight barriers to training, and explore potential solutions.

How was the questionnaire conducted and when were responses collected?

A 40-point electronic questionnaire was disseminated to higher surgical trainees across the UK, with anonymous responses collected from 26/10/2020 to 11/06/2021.

What were the main barriers to gaining endoscopy training?

Common obstacles included the COVID-19 pandemic, on-call commitments, lack of allocated endoscopy sessions, insufficient training lists, and competition with non-surgical trainees.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Riley