5 minutes Adam Gaines

Prostate Scotland, in association with The Urology Foundation, announces new Scottish Prostatic Robotic Fellowship and Clinical Visit Awards scheme

Prostate Scotland, has announced the launch of a new Scottish Fellowship and Clinical Visits Awards Programme which is aimed at increasing the number of urologists in Scotland trained in robotic assisted prostate cancer surgery. Prostate Scotland is working in association with The Urology Foundation on this project.

The new programme ‘the Prostate Scotland Scottish Prostatic Robotic Fellowship Awards’ involves making awards to provide support for trainee urologists and urologists to undertake training in robotically assisted prostate cancer surgery, take part in research and to publish research and/or outcomes data. The new programme will involve making up to two awards per year over the next two years – each award is worth £10,000. In additional a special Clinical Visit Award has been established for trainees and urology team members in Scotland to be able to apply for a grant of up to £1750 for a Clinical Visit to an institution to learn about, experience and observe robotic assisted prostate surgery in another recognised institution.

Prostate Scotland has recently completed a successful appeal to help the introduction of robot assisted prostate cancer surgery in the east and west of Scotland, raising nearly £3m to support robotic surgery programmes and the introduction of robots in the east and west of Scotland. As the introduction of robot assisted prostate cancer surgery in Scotland has proven to be so effective and with the vast majority of prostate cancer surgery in Scotland now being robotically assisted, and with NHS projections[i] suggesting that the incidence of prostate cancer is set to grow over the next ten years, Prostate Scotland in association with the Urology Foundation has established this new fellowship scheme to enable the training of the next generation of trainee urologists in Scotland in robotic assisted prostate cancer surgery.

Since 2011 The Urology Foundation (TUF) has been in the vanguard of promoting robotic surgery training among urologists, enabling them to gain sufficient practise to ensure proficiency and safety, and to help speed up the ability to offer robotic surgery to patients in need. The training has had a positive impact and TUF is pleased to have helped develop successful robotic programmes across the UK.

Applications are sought from trainees/ urologists working in Scotland or moving to work in Scotland wishing to undertake a prostate robotic fellowship as a joint application with a recognised robotic centre within the UK or Europe.

Professor Alan McNeill – Prostate Scotland Trustee and Consultant Urological Surgeon said: ’The introduction of robotic assisted prostate cancer surgery into Scotland is proving to be very successful and to date has already helped save the lives of over 400 men in the east and west of Scotland. Patient feedback has been very positive and encouraging. In view of this and the projected increase in the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer over the coming decade we are very pleased at Prostate Scotland to be able to launch this new award scheme, in association with The Urology Foundation, to help support the training in robotic prostate cancer surgery of the next generation of urologists in Scotland’.

Louise de Winter Chief Executive of The Urology Foundation said: ‘TUF is pleased to be working with Prostate Scotland to provide administrative support for these awards. The Foundation’s ethos is that patients should have access to the best possible treatment and care, and training professionals through programmes such as this is one way of ensuring that more urology patients in Scotland can access effective treatment and services.’

For further information please contact Adam Gaines or Richard Walker at Prostate Scotland on 01316038660 or info@prostatescotland.org.uk

Applications for the awards are open to:

[i] Cancer in Scotland: ISD, NHS National Services Scotland, September 2011 Projections of Cancer incidence in Scotland to 2020 –Samuel Odoro, Roger Black, David Brewster NHS National Services for Scotland  ISD 2010 and NHS National Services Scotland, Cancer incidence Projections August 15 2015