South West

Locations & trusts

NHS England across the South West includes Peninsula and Severn. The majority of medical specialties have independent rotations in Severn and Peninsula however haematology and rheumatology rotations in the Peninsula include Taunton and Somerset Hospital. The Peninsula is made up of a mixture of DGHs and Acute Trusts. 

The following link provides a map to all locations within the South West - http://www.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/geographic-areas/

Trusts in the Peninsula providing ST3 medical specialty training:

• Plymouth
• Cornwall
• Exeter
• North Devon
• Torbay
• Taunton and Somerset (for Haematology, Rheumatology)

Some specialties do not include all of trusts listed, please go to the specialties link for more information on which trusts are included in the rotation.

Respiratory medicine is an overarching specialty between Peninsula and Severn, please go to the following link for information on the trusts including in the programme.

The school of medicine

The aim of the School of Medicine, within the Peninsula, is to deliver excellent education and training in medicine from core to specialty training.

The school delivers the requirements of the GMC for core medical training and specialty education programmes within the Peninsula, embracing the needs and interests of all parties involved including the Royal College of Physicians, GMC, the employing Trusts and the Peninsula Medical Schools.

Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education as it is now known, is part of NHS England across the South West LETB and is under the direction of the Postgraduate Dean, Professor Martin Beaman.

The vision of Peninsula Postgraduate Education is to promote the delivery of high quality patient care through the provision of a highly skilled medical workforce.

GMC survey results 2019

Please feel free to review the GMC survey results and compare for yourself where the Peninsula ranks on domains in the survey that are important to you http://www.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/quality-management/surveys/test/2019-gmc-nts-executive-summary/

ST3 medical specialties

Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education delivers 17 of the ST3 medical specialty programmes across the Peninsula and South West offering a variety of acute and non-acute medical specialties. By clicking on the following links you will be able to see which programmes are offered by the Peninsula and read a little more about them - http://medicine.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/sub-specialties/

General internal medicine

Acute specialty programs are dual accrediting programs with G(I)M and these specialties include; acute medicine, cardiology, endocrinology & diabetes, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine, respiratory medicine, and some renal and rheumatology posts also dual accredit with G(I)M.

G(I)M training is as important as the parent specialty so the Peninsula work hard to ensure there is plenty of learning opportunities including five regional training days in G(I)M each year which all trainees are given the opportunity to attend. 

Training opportunities

The Peninsula is supported by the universities of Plymouth and Exeter leading to excellent research, teaching and training opportunities including a funded Professional and Generic Skills course.

Annual bursary opportunities are available for trainees to apply for funding to support educational ventures. 

Simulation training is a key part of training and the Peninsula continues to invest in new simulation equipment and programmes this is monitored by the Schools own simulation lead.

Life in Peninsula

If you choose to come and train with us you will have the opportunity to live and work in one of the most beautiful parts of the United Kingdom. There is no better place for an active outdoor lifestyle with an excellent climate. The unspoilt beaches along the North Devon and North Cornwall coasts provide some of the UK’s best surf breaks, whilst the picturesque South Coast provides the backdrop for some great sailing and windsurfing. The spectacular moorland of Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor, along with the South West Coastal Path, provide limitless possibilities for hikers, climbers and mountain bikers.

For those more attracted to urban living, Exeter and Plymouth offer you the chance to live in vibrant, historic and multicultural university cities, with excellent links to the rest of the country (Exeter to London Paddington is only two hours by train). There are plenty of smaller towns and villages to choose from for those who prefer a quieter life. 

In the Peninsula you will have the opportunity to mix and match lifestyle choices and undertake high quality, well-regulated training in medical specialities.

Location and Trusts

The Severn Postgraduate School of Medicine is a vibrant organisation firmly committed to training future generations of physicians. We aspire to excellence through providing the highest quality of medical training whilst encouraging innovation and research. Our rotations provide clinical experience in district general hospitals, both small and large, and our teaching hospitals.

• NBT – North Bristol NHS Trust
• UHBW – University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust  
• GWH – Great Western Hospital NHS FT Swindon
• Chelt/Glos – Cheltenham and Gloucester
• Yeovil – Yeovil District Hospital NHSFT
• Bath – Bath Royal United Hospital NHS Trust
• Somerset Foundation Trust

The School of Medicine

The Severn School of Medicine began in embryo form in the summer of 2006. It combined the former roles of Severn PGME and the Royal College of Physicians in supervising, organising and supporting training in postgraduate medicine in the region. Since then we have been focusing our efforts on achieving the highest possible standards of postgraduate medical education in our School. To help us in this task the School Board has 4 trainee members (2 each from core training and higher training) to ensure that trainees’ views and concerns are aired and dealt with. 

We have nearly 400 trainees in core and higher specialty training. With these large numbers, electronic communication is our principle way of communication and we update our website regularly with information on courses and other training related matters.

Training opportunities

Individual specialties and information on the rotations involved are described under each specialty on the School of Medicine website (link above) and these sections have been written by the relevant Training Programme Director or another consultant on the Training Committee who has been designated by them for this task.  All the training programmes involve rotations through different hospitals in the school to provide experience in both District General Hospital and Regional Centre settings. Study days are organised by the Training Programme Directors and attendance at an agreed proportion of these meetings is mandatory.

The study day programme for General Internal Medicine is also compulsory for all specialties involving dual accreditation.

A few rotations, notably Respiratory and Renal Medicine, are run jointly with the Peninsula Medical School to provide trainees in both Schools with the best opportunities to gain experience in sub specialty fields in Regional Centres. For these, one School acts as the lead for the specialty with their Training Programme Director taking overall responsibility for the specialty and another consultant in the other school acting as their deputy.

Life in the region

The Severn area offers something for everyone; the elegant Georgian cities of Bath and Cheltenham, the cosmopolitan feel of Bristol, and easy access to beautiful countryside and coastline. Leisure, sports and cultural opportunities are superb, with excellent rail links to London and the M5 motorway for the Devon and Cornwall coasts further south.