The Theatre: Surgical Learning and Innovation Podcast

Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Presented by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and featuring a wide variety of health care practitioners from around the country, 'The Theatre' is an ongoing discussion on current issues in surgery and surgical training, from cultural and professional development to approaches to patient care. Episodes released monthly. For further information, to leave us feedback, or to propose an episode topic, please get in touch with us at podcasts@rcseng.ac.uk

  1. Aug 20

    Robotic Surgery - Past, Present and Future

    In this month’s episode, Ryan Kerstein and Eve McMahon from our innovation hub are joined by Nuha Yassin and Ben Challacombe to talk about robotic surgery. They give us a comprehensive overview of its history, current challenges, and future, with a heavy focus on the implementation of the technology in workplaces across the UK.  The Innovation hub, or i-hub, is an initiative by RCS England to connect industry partners and innovators to develop, evaluate and implement new products and tools. Learn more about what they do here: RCS England Innovation Hub — Royal College of SurgeonsThe Royal College of Surgeons latest course, Step Up, is all about stepping up your surgical skills from trainee to registrar, with part of the programme focused on communication and bedside assisting in Robotic Surgery: Step up your surgical responsibilities | Course — Royal College of Surgeons The views expressed on the podcast are entirely those of the participants. No industry partners have had input in the making or the editing of this episode.

  2. Jun 18

    Oral History Series - Interview with Kathleen Fan

    In this episode of The Theatre, we continue our oral history series. We speak to Professor Kathleen Fan, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and professor at King’s College London.Kathy reflects on her career in surgery, sharing practical insight into the path to consultancy. She also explores themes that matter to many of us across the College, from supporting research in training to developing as a consultant, and balancing a surgical career with family life. For more information about Kathleen: Professor Kathleen Fan Other interviews part of the voices of surgery series: Voices of Surgery: RCS England oral history For more information, feel free to email the library at library@rcseng.ac.uk Educational Supervisor's Toolkit: Educational supervisor toolkit — Royal College of Surgeons

  3. May 19

    Oral cancer - challenges, diagnosis and patient support

    In this month's episode of the Theatre, head and neck surgeon Rafal Niziol, dental surgeon Caroline McCarthy and oncologist Chris Nutting come together to talk about oral cancer.  Together, they give an in-depth overview of the current state of the field, from challenges in diagnosis to opportunities created by new technologies and the importance of improving multidisciplinary collaboration. Oral cancer, also known as mouth cancer or mouth lining cancer, is one of the forms of cancer with the highest mortality rates – above 50% within 5 years of diagnosis for those diagnosed at an advanced stage. Research shows early diagnosis can have a critical impact on that rate, as early-stage cancers have a survival rate of around 90%. Yet, for a variety of reasons, oral cancer is still grossly underdiagnosed – with median delays between initial contact with a GP and specialist diagnosis as high as 106 days. At RCS and the Faculty of Dental Surgeons, we want our mission to advance dental surgical care for all patients to go hand-in-hand with practical action, and it is with this in mind that we set to tackle one of the biggest problems facing the profession. For more episodes and latest updates from the world of surgery, please feel free to subscribe to the Theatre on Spotify.

  4. Apr 15

    Introducing "Stop the Bleed"

    In this month’s episode of the Theatre, we are excited to be announcing "Stop the Bleed", our ambitious and radical new programme, training the general public to stop traumatic blood haemorrhage. This includes stab wounds from knife crime, cut, and fall wounds and affects every region in the UK. Another key part of "Stop The Bleed" is to provide life-saving kit in spaces such as pubs, farms, public transport and other areas particularly vulnerable to these injuries. In these situations, survival can be decided in a matter of minutes, and having a trained population with access to proper kits can play a crucial role in reducing the mortality rate.  The programme will be launched at the Future of Surgery Festival, on 20-21st April 2026. To introduce it, our host Kenny Webster is joined by leading trauma consultants Guy Slater, Wendy Gaskin, Elena Theophilidou and Martin Griffiths, who all share their experience on how Stop the Bleed can save lives in their field and across the UK. "Stop the Bleed" is made possible thanks to its sponsors: the Drexler Foundation, the Grace Trust and the Addint Charitable Trust. We are especially keen to hear from people interested in providing "Stop the Bleed" training. If this could be you, please contact us at education@rcseng.ac.uk. If you would like to find a training centre near you, please feel free to contact this email address too. For more information on what Stop the Bleed is, check out the link below:Home | ACS Stop the Bleed

  5. Mar 17

    Creating a Neurodiversity Positive Surgical Culture - Views from Consultants

    In this episode, our host Ginny Bowbrick (FRCS, RCS England Council Member) is joined by consultants Max Osborne and Lulu Ritchie to discuss how to create a surgical culture that brings the best out of neurodiversity. Together, they make a passionate case that inclusivity is not only beneficial to neurodivergent people, but also fundamental to improving patient care. We are releasing this episode for Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026, which runs from 16th to 20th March, and as part of a wider commitment to improve access for neurodivergent people to the surgical professions. The Royal College of Surgeons of England has launched free online resources to support Educational Supervisors working with their trainees. The Toolkit provides guidance across arange of areas, including how to support trainees with a neurodivergent diagnosis, those who suspect they may be neurodivergent, or where this has been identified as a possibility by the Educational Supervisor : Educational supervisor toolkit — Royal College of Surgeons

  6. Mar 13

    Women's History Month Special - Interview with Anne Moore

    To celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month, the Theatre is proud to bring you an interview with Anne Moore, who as the first and so far only woman president of the royal society of neurosurgeons helped pave the way for women in the field. The interview was initially made as part of the Royal College of Surgeon's "Voices of Surgery" project, which seeks to keep an archive of the history of surgery through the words of the people who helped shape it. If you would like to learn more about "Voices of Surgery": Voices of Surgery: Oral History at the Royal College of Surgeons of England — Royal College of Surgeons Other recordings from the project: Voices of Surgery: RCS England oral history

  7. Mar 3

    Transformation in the NHS

    In this month’s episode of the Theatre, our host Maria Satchi is joined by Professor Roger Kirby and Mr Ben Ayres to discuss how to drive meaningful change in the NHS. In this discussion, they dive deep into subjects such as national guidelines, the government’s 10 year plan, navigating the NHS bureaucracy and introducing radical technological change that can save lives. With recent polls showing the majority of Britons think the NHS will get worst rather than better, this episode is essential listening not just for those working in the health sector, but for anyone wishing to learn more about a key issue affecting the future of the country.

  8. Jan 19

    Genomics and Molecular Surgery

    Join us as Nuha Yassin sits down with Sue Clark, Terri McVeigh and Frank McDermott to discuss genomics and molecular surgery. Genomics and molecular surgery have the potential to change our approaches to healthcare and surgical practice. These exciting advancements in genomics and molecular surgery are allowing us to better personalise treatments and improve patient outcomes. This includes the use of next generation sequencing, circulating tumour DNA, polygenic risk scores, pharmacogenomics and personalised drug treatments such as cancer vaccines.  Join us for the Future of Surgery Festival this April for a celebration of surgery, where innovation meets inspiration.  Host: Nuha Yassin  Nuha Yassin is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at University Hospitals Birmingham and an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Birmingham. Her clinical and research interests focus on technology, minimally invasive, and robotic surgical techniques for colorectal cancer and IBD. She is the Lead for robotic colorectal surgery at her trust and the first female national proctor for robotic colorectal surgery in the UK.  Guest: Sue Clark  Professor Sue Clark MD FRCS (Gen Surg) EBSQ (Coloproctology) is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at St Mark’s Hospital, and Professor of Practice (Colorectal Surgery) at Imperial College, London, UK. Additional roles include Chair of the UK-wide Hereditary Gastrointestinal Polyposis Syndromes Rare Disease Collaborative Network, Administrative Officer of the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours (InSiGHT) and Chair of the Bowel Research UK Grants Committee. She was previously Director of the St Mark's Hospital Polyposis Registry, RCS(England) Genomics Champion, member of the RCS(England) Commission on the Future of Surgery, Editor in Chief of Colorectal Disease and member of InSiGHT Council.  Guest: Terri McVeigh  Terri McVeigh is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist in the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London, with clinician–scientist training that includes international research and clinical fellowships. Her work spans genomic medicine, education and national service development. She works with NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme, supporting curriculum development, faculty training and the creation of learning resources for both specialist and mainstream clinicians. As a Professional Lead within the Genomics Training Academy, she helps shape educational strategy, assessment approaches and faculty development, and co‑chairs the Oncology and Malignant Haematology GeNotes working groups.   Guest: Frank McDermott  Frank McDermott is Lead for Genomics and Molecular Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and Associate Professor at the University of Exeter. His clinical and academic interests include colorectal cancer, complex decision-making, and the integration of genomics into routine surgical practice. He is Clinical Director of the South West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance and Editor of BJS Open and is involved in national and international collaborative research focused on improving personalised cancer care. Produced by: Andrea Pearson  References  GeNotes: GeNotes: Genomic notes for clinicians | GEP | NHS England  GTAC: GTAC: The Genomics Training Academy - Genomics Education Programme  UKCGG one-page clinical guidelines: UKCGG leaflets and guidelines - Cancer Genetics Group  RCS Genomics e-learning module: https://vle.rcseng.ac.uk/enrol/index.php?id=730  Current and future genomic applications for surgeons: https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1308/rcsann.2024.0031   The impact of cancer genomics across the surgical pathway: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0263931925000225  Precision surgery: harnessing the power of genomics: https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/10.1308/rcsbull.2026.1

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Presented by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and featuring a wide variety of health care practitioners from around the country, 'The Theatre' is an ongoing discussion on current issues in surgery and surgical training, from cultural and professional development to approaches to patient care. Episodes released monthly. For further information, to leave us feedback, or to propose an episode topic, please get in touch with us at podcasts@rcseng.ac.uk

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