From the President's Desk
18 July 2025
(Last updated: 18 Jul 2025 17:22)
The first thing I want to ask SCTS members to do is look at your diaries and consider joining the London to Brighton Cycle Ride as part of the SCTS team. This event is a wonderful opportunity to raise the visibility of our Society, champion the causes we care about, and contribute to fundraising. The healthcare space is crowded with competing voices. To be heard, we must be seen.
SCTS London–Brighton Cycle Ride Booking Link
Your interest and support mean a great deal. With sustained commitment, SCTS can grow as a more prominent and effective medical charity, supporting our members, keeping patients at the centre.
Representation and Collaboration
It has been a busy period for the leadership team. I recently represented SCTS in Dublin at the Surgical Forum meeting of the Federation of Surgical Specialty Associations (FSSA) and the four Surgical Royal Colleges of Great Britain and Ireland
These gatherings offer opportunities. Not only do they allow us to share our challenges with other specialties, but they also create space to shape and propose solutions. I continue to learn from colleagues and hope that offering an SCTS perspective contributes meaningfully.
One notable outcome of these connections was being approached by a distinguished SCTS member seeking advice on advancing a promising medical technology that requires substantial funding. While SCTS itself cannot act as an investor, we can offer independent, expert insight into clinical problems, solutions, and technologies within our remit. Technologies developed domestically, benefit not only healthcare but also our economic resilience and industrial sovereignty.
Equity and the Workforce
It was a pleasure to attend the SCTS Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery (WICTS) committee meeting. We had discussions on important issues. Many of these concerns are not exclusive to women. They speak to the needs of our whole workforce.
This is about levelling the playing field so that all individuals with talent and commitment can thrive and contribute fully. If we marginalise even a small portion of our potential workforce, inadvertently or otherwise, we deny our patients the value of their abilities. That mindset must change.
Updates in National Policy
Two important national policy documents have been published in recent days.
1. NHS England’s 10-Year Health Plan: Fit for the Future
Released on 3 July 2025, this wide-ranging strategy is built around three transformative shifts:
- From hospital to community
- From analogue to digital
- From sickness to prevention
These priorities align well with many of our goals in cardiothoracic care specially as we move to more minimal impact and shorter stay care. There is an opportunity for us to engage, innovate and help shape specialty pathways within this framework.
2. The Leng Review
Published on 16 July 2025, this independent review of the physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associate (AA) roles recommends that the title physician associate be changed to physician assistant. This clarifies that these professionals are assistants to doctors. The report contains multiple recommendations, including future reviews of scope of practice.
Cardiothoracic surgery has long valued its entire workforce and pioneered extended roles, including advanced nurse practitioners and surgical care practitioners (SCPs). For example, Scotland’s national pectus service is led by a physiotherapist, a model of interdisciplinary leadership we admire and could emulate in NHS England.
We recently participated in a webinar with the Association of Cardiothoracic Surgical Care Practitioners, as they consider the future of their examination, currently administered through the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. SCPs are a vital part of our teams, and we support their desire to maintain and advance professional standards.
Industrial Action and Professional Values
We are now entering another period of industrial action by resident doctors. We respect their legal right to act in pursuit of fair treatment. At the same time, we must all keep patient care and safety at the forefront.
The GMC’s position on industrial action is clear:
"Doctors are legally entitled to take part in lawful industrial action, including strike action. During strike action, doctors’ employers will have a vital role in planning and preparing for how patients will be cared for. We expect any doctors choosing to take part in strike action to continue to follow the principles of our guidance, Good medical practice. It highlights the importance of doctors working collaboratively with the healthcare team to keep patients safe, staying within the limits of their competence."
The full GMC guidance can be found here: Good Medical Practice (2024 edition)
The NHS budget is enormous. However, size alone will not solve our challenges. Sustained progress will come from:
- Prudent use of technology
- Process redesign to improve patient flow
- Measures that improve efficiency
- Addressing workforce retention and training
- Fostering a supportive, respectful culture
Strikes reflect deeper frustrations that must be addressed for future workforce stability.
Looking Ahead
Save the date
SCTS Unit Representatives’ Meeting
Date: 26 September 2025
Venue: The King’s Fund, London
Theme: Service improvement and shared learning across centres
Hope to see you there.
As always, with thanks to the SCTS team
Aman S Coonar
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