POPS

Guy’s and St Thomas’ POPS Visiting Professional Programme gives international clinicians experience of an award winning NHS perioperative medicine service for older people undergoing surgery.

Introduction

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust POPS (Perioperative medicine for Older People Undergoing Surgery) Visiting Professional Programme (VPP) is designed to provide international visiting professionals with the opportunity to experience and learn from the award winning service. POPS was the first such service and started in 2003. It has rapidly become an essential clinical service and is now embedded into routine care. POPS is recognised nationally and internationally as a quality, innovative and clinically effective service and is cited as providing a gold standard of care. 


Programme aims

The programme is aimed at those who wish to extend their experience within a perioperative medicine service and who wish to gain an understanding of the way this is practised and organised within the NHS and how it integrates with patient care pathways. The programme aims to include: 


Format

The observer will be nominated a supervisor, within the team to coordinate their individual programme. The experience can be tailored to the applicants needs and can include a generic overview of our Ageing and Health service.


Who can apply

This programme is intended for non-U.K. clinicians and service providers including consultants, registrars, nurse specialists, allied health professionals and managers, who are interested in setting up or developing their own perioperative medicine programme for older adults. 

Visitors can apply primarily for an observership (with no hands-on element) or a practical attachment programme. 

Those wishing to apply for the practical attachment must have GMC registration. You can apply for GMC registration directly through the main GMC website. This is likely to take a considerable time to achieve and should be factored into an attachment application.


Programme duration

It is recommended to undertake a placement of between four weeks to three months for a typical observership.


POPS service

The POPS team co-manage older, complex patients undergoing either elective or emergency surgery across all surgical subspecialties at GSTT. 

The POPS team have an active national and international education and training programme for doctors at all grades and allied health professionals (including eLearning modules, annual conferences, curricula and capability frameworks). 

POPS contributes to local and national research and QI studies through collaboration across disciplines and specialties. 

Our Visiting Professional Programme is a unique development experience that allows visitors to observe our team across clinical settings. The attachment will be tailored to the learning needs of the observer and can either broad and generic or highly specific. 

We are dedicated to broadening international professionals’ clinical expertise and enabling them to observe new skills that can be transferred back to their work place.


Example Timetable

Monday morning

  • Urology Board Round and Inpatient Reviews

Monday afternoon

  • POPS Outpatient Clinic

Tuesday morning

  • Elective Orthopaedic Board Round and Reviews

Tuesday afternoon

  • Urology Inpatient Reviews

Wednesday morning

  • POPS MDM

Wednesday afternoon

  • Amputee Rehab Unit

Thursday morning

  • Urology Board Round and POPS Clinic

Thursday afternoon

  • Bone Health Clinic

Friday morning

  • Amputee Rehab Unit

Friday afternoon

  • POPS Teaching

Monday morning

  • Ortho Trauma Meeting and Inpatient Reviews

Monday afternoon

  • Gynaecology Ward Round

Tuesday morning

  • GI Ward Round and MDT Board Round

Tuesday afternoon

  • GI Ward Reviews

Wednesday morning

  • POPS MDM

Wednesday afternoon

  • POPS Clinic and Medical Education Meeting

Thursday morning

  • Intestinal Failure Meeting

Thursday afternoon

  • GI Ward Reviews

Friday morning

  • Ortho Trauma Meeting and Inpatient Reviews

Friday afternoon

  • POPS Teaching 

Monday morning

  • Elective Ortho Review

Monday afternoon

  • POPS Clinic

Tuesday morning

  • Vascular Ward MDM

Tuesday afternoon

  • Vascular Ward Reviews

Wednesday morning

  • POPS MDM

Wednesday afternoon

  • @ Home Team

Thursday morning

  • Vascular Ward MDM

Thursday afternoon

  • Vascular Ward Reviews

Friday morning

  • POPS Vascular Clinic 

Friday afternoon

  • POPS Teaching

Monday morning

  • Medical Ward Reviews

Monday afternoon

  • POPS Clinic

Tuesday morning

  • Memory Clinic

Tuesday afternoon

  • Minnie Kidd House

Wednesday morning

  • @ Home Team

Wednesday afternoon

  • Acute Frailty Unit

Thursday morning

  • Medical Ward Reviews

Thursday afternoon

  • Acute Frailty Unit

Friday morning

  • Heart Failure Clinic

Friday afternoon

  • Geriatric Oncology Clinic (GOLD)

Fees

A course fee per week will be applied; this fee excludes accommodation and travelling expenses. To find out the fee amount please email [email protected].


Please note

Clinicians are able to offer bursaries or discounted placements on an individual basis. This is at the discretion of the Directorates of GSTT and does not affect the terms and conditions of the Visiting Professional Programme agreements.

Start your application