WEST OF SCOTLAND DEANERY
SUB-SPECIALIST TRAINEE IN UROGYNAECOLOGY
JOB DESCRIPTION
TRAINING CENTRE
Department of Urogynaecolgy
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
1345 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF
Sub-specialty Training Programme Director (STPD): Dr Karen Guerrero
Proposed Start Date: May 2016
Programme Overview
The programme will run for 2 – 3 years and can accommodate successful candidates with or
without research exception. The programme is deanery funded.
The programme aims to generate a competent clinician who can deal with all aspects of
Urogynaecology, but in particular it aims to train a candidate who can function in a tertiary
referral centre as part of a Pelvic Floor MDT.
Because of the large and diverse services offered in-house trainees can also develop particular
areas of Urogynaecology if they wish, such as Laparoscopic Urogynaecology, Coloproctology /
Perineal Problems, Refractory OAB / neuromodulation etc.. As the trainee is not required for
service delivery we are able to tailor their programme and timetable dependant on their
educational needs.
The programme aims to allow development of teaching and research skills to enable trainees to
continue their research & teaching once in consultant posts.
Regardless of research exemption, we expect trainee to contribute to the research
programme. They will be encouraged and supported in research activity, presenting and
publishing work.
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Training Programme Faculty
Name
Discipline
Dr Karen Guerrero
Training Programme Director
Dr Stewart Pringle
Deputy Training Programme Director
Dr Robert Hawthorn
Laparoscopic Module Lead
Dr Chris Hardwick
Urogynaecology (Lap)
Dr Stein Bjornsson
Urogynaecology
Dr Hassan Ali
Urogynaecology
Sr Karen Nicolson
Urogynaecology (Specialist Nurse)
Prof Suzanne Hagen
Interventional Programmes Director /
NMAHP Research Unit
Ms P Granitsiotis
Urology
Mr David Wright
Coloproctology
Mrs Jackie Montgomery
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist - Lead
THE TRAINING CENTRE
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde is Scotland’s largest health board. There are 3 large Obstetric &
Gynaecology units. The Sub-Specialty Training post in Urogynaecology is based at the Queen
Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in south Glasgow
The QEUH campus is the largest hospital campus in Europe.It is estimated that the hospital
serves 41% of Scotland’s population. The adult hospital contains 1109 inpatient beds. The
Royal Hospital for Children is on campus and houses 256 inpatient care beds. The Maternity
unit has a recently opened delivery suite and neonatal block with extensive redevelopment of
departments, such as early pregnancy unit.
There is a new postgraduate education centre and skills laboratory on site. The QEUH receives
medical students from Glasgow University and Allied health Professionals from both Glasgow
University and Glasgow Caledonian University. Both universities are located nearby.
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Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology South Glasgow
Number Consultants: 20.5
Number Trainees: FY2 – 7
ST (GP) – 8
ST (O&G) – 16
Sub-Spec Trainees – 2 (Feto-maternal medicine / Urogynaecology)
Deliveries / yr: 6000
Gynaecology workload:
New Outpatients: 8600
Emergency Admissions: 2932
Elective Procedures: 3600
In-patient gynaecological surgery and Gynaecology emergencies are based at the QEUH. Daysurgery occurs at the New Victoria Hospital (NVH) ,which is a purpose built Ambulatory Care
Unit with 23-hour beds. Out-patient clinics are held at bothe QEUH & NVH.
We have an Ante-natal day Unit at the QEUH, and a separate 24 hour Obstetric Triage /
admission unit. Gynaecology services include our own in-house Ultrasound department, an
Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit and a Gynaecology Emergency Unit.
The Ian Donald department of Fetal Medicine at the QEUH serves as the tertiary referral unit
for the West of Scotland and beyond.
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Department of Urogynaecology
The Department of Urogynaecology functions as the major secondary care provider for Pelvic
Floor Dysfunction within the health board. We receive over 850 GP new patient referrals / yr but
also receive patients with refractory continence symptoms from the community team (+200/yr).
The department also serves as tertiary referral centre for the West of Scotland and beyond.
Referrals are received from all health boards in Scotland with over 530 tertiary referrals in 2013
-14 in addition to the above figures.
Health Professional working within the Department:

Medical Consultants: 6

Continence Advisors: 3

Physiotherapists: 6.6 WTE, 2.1 dedicated solely to out-patient Urogynaecology services

Nursing Support Staff: 1 WTE
The unit is set up as a tertiary referral unit but also as a teaching unit. There is a dedicated
clinical area where all of the Sub-specialty clinics run from. We have dedicated clinical staff
with extended clinical roles as advanced practioners. We have our own urodynamic suite and
Endoanal USS for use within the department.
The full range of all specialist investigations and treatments are available including a very well
developed conservative management programme. There are no other units within the locality
competing for this work and the Health Board has a long history of supporting urinary
incontinence as a health gain initiative. The Unit also provides training for staff within the Board.
There are a minimum of 10 urogynaecology clinics/week , 5 urodynamic clinics and 11
lists/week, enabling us to surpass the number of procedures required for unit sub-specialty
accreditation.
The extensive Community Continence service in Glasgow includes GPs, physiotherapists and
specialist nurses. MDT meetings are held with clinical pathways allowing patient treatment,
triaging and referral into appropriate secondary care services.
The South Glasgow Pelvic Floor MDT includes urogynaecologists, reconstructive urologists and
functional coloproctologists. We serve as a tertiary referral unit for refractory functional
problems, fistula and graft complications
We serve as the Tertiary referral unit for the West of Scotland and beyond. This comprises
patients requiring investigation, assessment as well as further surgical management. A
significant proportion of our workload is recurrent prolapse and incontinence as a consequence.
The workload figures, and case complexity, are sufficient to ensure excellent access to a large
number of clinical cases for a sub specialist trainee.
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The extensive range of surgical procedures offered include:

Incontinence Procedures include:
o
o
o
o
Autologous Slings
Colposuspension (Open/Laparoscopic)
Bladder Neck injections
Intravesical BOTOX

Prolapse Surgery
o Vaginal Hysterectomy
o Fascial Cystocoele / Rectocoele repairs
o Vaginal vault fixation procedures
o Sacrocolpopexies (Open/Laparoscopic)

Mesh Complication Surgery
Urology
We work very closely with a urologists who sub-specialises in reconstructive / female Urology.
They offer further continence surgery, such as augmentation cystoplasty, urinary diversion etc.
Video and ambulatory urodynamics are available within the unit.
session in the trainee’s timetable.
Both will form a regular
Our Urologists provided the service for the regional Spinal Injuries Unit and offer the
Sacroneuromodulation service for Scotland.
The combined Urogynaecology – Urology service functions as a regional centre for fistula
repair
Coloproctology
We work with Coloproctologists working in this sub specialist surgical field. We run fortnightly
Multidisciplinary Clinics / meetings and have joint lists.
The trust has a rectal physiology unit with facilities including anal manometry, endo-anal
ultrasound and electromyography.
Radiology
The trust offers excellent radiology opportunities, including a new MRI suite at the NVH allowing
dynamic imaging.
There is ample opportunity to learn endo-anal USS and perform this in Urogynaecology clinics.
Defaecatory MRI’s are performed within the Urogynaecology service.
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Medicine for the Elderly
We have long-standing links with the department of Medicine for the Elderly at the SGH. An
excellent service is offered which includes Rehab / Stroke and Parkinson Clinics.
Our department trains the Medicine for the Elderly trainees from the West of Scotland deanery
undergoing their continence modules.
Research
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has an active Urogynaecology research
programme. Current projects include collaboration in Multi-centre trials as well as centrally
organised research projects into both continence and prolapse surgery.
The department is well supported by the hospital’s Research & Development unit. We work
closely with Clinical Research Units across the country on several projects. We also have links
with the University of Glasgow academic department of O&G
The Department of Urogynaecology works as part of a research team with Glasgow Caledonian
University Nursing Midwifery Allied Health Professional (NMAHP) unit and Professor Suzanne
Hagen. There is a team of researchers from both departments working together on numerous
projects (including successful grant applications/ publications and research posts). We have 1
dedicated Urogynaecology research nurse but numerous other researchers working within this
MDT. This team provides a supportive network and research opportunities for the Sub-specialty
trainee, general O&G trainees as well as allied health professionals.
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SUB-SPECIALTY TRAINING PROGRAMME
Aims
This post is designed to allow an interested post-MRCOG doctor to become a Subspecialist in
Urogynaecology. The exact timetable / programme duration will depend upon the requirements
of the successful applicant, but he/ she will need to spend a minimum of 2-3 years in the post
depending upon requirements for the completion of structured training CCST, together with
Subspecialtist Accreditation.
Clinical Role
The Subspecialty Trainee would be expected to join in providing a secondary and tertiary
service for women attending the unit with disorders of the lower urinary tract and pelvic floor.
The trainee will undertake the relevant administrative tasks as clinic/ ward discharge letters.
Multi-disciplinary team working
The successful candidate will be expected to work within the MDT. They will take responsibility
for presenting at the Urogynaecology team meetings and will be encouraged to attend the
department risk management team monthly meeting. They will also co-ordinate / lead the South
Glasgow MDT Pelvic Floor meetings.
Allied Specialties
Urology, Colorectal, Radiology, Medicine for the Elderly, Neurology / Spinal Injuries etc...
training is expected to be integrated in the training programme. The trainee will be also be
released, as felt appropriate by trainers & trainee, according to training needs / opportunities
that arise both within the trust as well as elsewhere.
The trainee will however be expected to undergo specific working placements in both the
Urology and Colorectal Departments.
Teaching
He/ She would be expected to teach nurses and allied health professionals, as well as
undergraduate medical students and postgraduate doctors. The trainee will be responsible for
the Urogynaecology component of the departments postgraduate teaching program. They will
be expected to teach at the Courses run by the department, such as the Third Degree Tear and
Pelvic Anatomy Courses.
Management
The trainee is expected to learn and become involved in clinical care pathways, risk
management and service provision.
They will learn how to triage GP & Consultant referrals.
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Audit
The trainee will be expected to participate in urogynaecology audits and supervise juniors in
their audits. They will be expected to learn about national databases and registries used within
Urogynaecology.
Courses / Conferences
As well as relevant Urogynaecology training courses, the trainee will be expected to attend
courses on Management, Ethical/ medico legal issues, Teaching & Statistics. They will be
supported in this.
They will be encouraged to attend and actively participate in National & International
Urogynaecology meetings. They will be expected to participate as faculty in our departmental
courses e.g Cadaveric Anatomy Course which includes administration tasks.
Research
There is ample opportunity for the sub-specialty trainee in Urogynaecology to develop their
research portfolio. The successful candidate will be expected to participate and lead on various
projects, and produce first author publications / presentations, regardless of research
exemption.
Laparoscopic Module
This sub-specialty training programme is one of the RCOG accredited units for training in the
OPTIONAL sub-specialty training module in laparoscopic Urogynaecology.
Suitability of the successful candidate to undertake this module will be discussed with
educational supervisors and undertaken as appropriate to educational needs.
On Call Commitment
ALL of the trainees day-time work will be in Urogynaecology Sub-specialty training programme.
There will be minimal general gynaecology (usually co-existing in Urogynaecology patients)
and NO day-time Obstetrics or Gynaecology.
There remains a requirement for the trainee to take part in the on-call rota in general obstetrics
and gynaecology. This is not just a departmental requirement. It is essential for training /
maintenance of skills in general Obs/Gyn .
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Sample Time-Table
Monday *
Tuesday
Wednesday
Research Day
Tertiary Urodynamics
MDT Meeting
Research Day
Clinic / Theatre
Urogynaecology Clinic
MDT Clinics
Thursday
Theatre
Theatre
Friday
Day Surgery
MDT
Ward Round
Admin
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further advice and information about the sub-specialty training centre and programme can be
obtained from both:
Dr Karen Guerrero Tel: 0141 232 7955 email: karen.guerrero@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Dr Stewart Pringle Tel: 0141 201 1959 email: stewart.pringle@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
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