Quality Assurance of Surgical Training

The General Medical Council (GMC) has overall responsibility for setting and regulating standards for medical education and training in the UK. It is the quality assurance body for medical education and training.

There are 3 levels of quality activity: quality assurance, quality management and quality control.

Quality assurance is the responsibility of the GMC and is the overarching activity under which both quality management and quality control sit. It includes all the policies, standards, systems and processes that are in place to maintain and improve the quality of training.

Quality management is the responsibility of LETBs/Deaneries and refers to the processes through which they ensure that the training provided by the local education providers (LEPs) meets the GMC's standards.

LEPs, for example NHS trusts, are responsible for the quality control of the training they provide by making sure it meets local and national standards.

As part of its role in the quality management of surgical training, the JCST has developed its own quality strategy based upon its quality indicators, trainee survey, certification guidelines and the annual specialty report.

Certification guidelines and checklists are no longer being used due to the release of the 2021 outcomes-based curricula. For details on the completion of certification requirements trainees and trainers should refer to the current curricula – click here for the latest curricula information or click here to access and download the latest curricula.