Training must be of highest possible quality

Editor—T J Crofts and colleagues articulate many of the concerns of surgical trainees.1 The outcome of surgical training is a function of both the quality and the quantity of the training. Concern about surgical training tends to concentrate on the quantity of training, particularly the shortened training period and reduced hours of work. If these are considered in isolation it is easy to become alarmed by the prospect of underqualified surgeons coming off the production line. The changes brought about with the introduction of the specialist registrar grade and the new deal must be accompanied by an improvement in the quality of surgical training. Without adequate funding and an increase in the number of consultants the experiment will fail.

The indicator operations listed by Croft and colleagues are mostly elective procedures. A one in two rota would not rectify the potential deficit in the number required for training. To correct the …