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Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) course 07E

To book a place on a BSS 6th edition course, visit the 6th edition course page. The 6th edition will only be available until the end of this year. We will fully transition to the 7th edition from January 2026. 

Accelerate your surgical career in just two days. Gain essential hands-on techniques such as suturing, knot-tying, tissue handling, and instrument use, under expert guidance, as well as an understanding how these skills are employed in practice.

Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) will help you make the most of your time in theatre, prepare for your MRCS Part B exam, and move confidently towards your career goals.

Post-course learning materials will help you to practice and further develop your skills, as well as provide information and prompts for career-planning in light of the growing importance of robotics in surgical practice.  

Why take this course?

Basic Surgical Skills will help you to: 

  • Get ahead in your Core Surgical Training interviews and MRCS Part B exams through suturing skills and associated knowledge that will set you apart
  • Boost your confidence in theatre
  • Align your skillset with the Basic Surgical Skills module in the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme’s Core Surgical Training Syllabus.

This course is worth 12 CPD points.

Where can I attend BSS?

BSS courses are delivered at The Bjorn Saven Centre (RCS England London) and centres in the UK and internationally. See below for upcoming course dates and locations.

Faculty and membership discounts apply to courses held in the Bjorn Saven Centre at RCS England. Explore membership options.

  • £849.00
  • 2 Days
  • 12.00 CPD Points
£849.00
2 Days days
12.00 CPD Points

Suitability

Basic surgical skills is a practical, workshop-led course designed to teach fundamental surgical techniques. Each skill is introduced through a step-by-step demonstration, followed by hands-on practice.

This course is ideal for:

  • Foundation doctors (FY1–FY3)
  • Core surgical trainees (CT1, CT2)
  • Healthcare professionals looking to build or refresh essential surgical skills
  • Foundation doctors preparing for core surgical training interviews
  • Candidates preparing for the MRCS Part B exam.

SCPs may attend the BSS course to meet the syllabus requirements for Intraoperative Skills.  

Learning outcomes

After attending this course, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate safe surgical practice for the patient, the surgeons and the surgical team
  • Demonstrate the correct techniques for laying safe surgical knots and placing sutures
  • Describe and demonstrate the principles of tissue handling and related techniques
  • Describe and demonstrate the basic principles of safe endoscopic surgery.

Format

Over the two in-person course days, you will engage in a range of hands-on sessions.

Day one: You will build a strong foundation with essential techniques like knot-tying, instrument handling, and suturing, plus practical skills like skin lesion removal, ligation/transfixion, and tissue handling.

Day two: You will push your skills further with advanced techniques in assisted abdominal closure, vascular surgery, tendon repair, and an introduction to endoscopic surgery. You’ll also get the opportunity to try your hand at removing a simulated appendix during the endoscopy session.

The sessions will also cover:

  • Gowning and gloving
  • Local anaesthetic management
  • Tissue handling for infected and contaminated tissues, considering variations in skin, bowel, and vascular sites
  • Electrosurgery device usage, ensuring safe and effective application
  • Endoscopic instrument manipulation, working within a 3D surgical environment while interpreting a 2D remote image; 
  • Visuospatial awareness, depth cueing, and control of the 'fulcrum effect' in endoscopic surgery. 

This course aligns with the GMC Capabilities in Practice Framework and the Foundation Curriculum High-Level Outcomes.

Training centres may use a variety of porcine, ovine, or maleagrine tissues, while some opt for synthetic models. If you have any concerns about the materials used in the course, please contact us.

While prior surgical experience is not required, the course is best suited to those already on a clinical training path. For undergraduates or those outside the healthcare surgical field, we recommend Surgical Skills for Students and Health Professionals.

Pre-course e-learning

Ahead of the course, you will have access to the BSS handbook and course videos on our e-learning platform, followed by a multiple-choice question test with a pass mark of 80%. Completing this ahead of the course will help you to get the most out of every session. 

Follow-up e-learning

Once you have completed the face-to-face element of the course, continued practice is essential for maintaining and building upon your foundational skills.

To support this, we provide a set of optional follow-up resources on our online learning platform. These include:

  • Home kit – knot tying and suturing
  • Home kit – endoscopic stimulator
  • Robotics overview.

View the full BSS programme.

Additional Information

If you are undertaking the Postgraduate Certificate in Surgery, you will be awarded four credits upon taking this course.

The inclusion of courses in the PGCert in Surgery is subject to availability. 

Interested in becoming BSS faculty? Find out more about teaching on our courses

Booking options

Approved regional courses

Thu
16
Jul
2026
-
Fri
17
Jul
2026
£600.00
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

16 Jul 2026
-
17 Jul 2026

Here is an overview of the programme

£600.00

Pricing notes:

Full price: £600.00

Course Fees:

Please note, we require full payment upon booking. Take a look at the cancellation policy first.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Location:

Suture Centre, Suite 22, Education & Development,
Cottingham
HULL
HU16 5JQ
United Kingdom
janine.lee13@nhs.net
View in Google Maps

Booking details

Pricing notes:

Full price: £600.00

Please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.

Contact details:

Please contact the coordinator:
Janine Lee
janine.lee13@nhs.net
01482816672

Before booking at the centre, please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.

Royal College Of Surgeons courses

Tue
20
Jan
2026
-
Wed
21
Jan
2026
£849.00
LONDON, United Kingdom

20 Jan 2026
-
21 Jan 2026

Here is an overview of the programme

£849.00

Pricing notes:

Full price: £849.00
STM: £679.20 (20% Discount)
Fellow: £679.20 (20% Discount)
Affiliate: £679.20 (20% Discount)

Course Fees:

Please note, we require full payment upon booking. Take a look at the cancellation policy first.

LONDON, United Kingdom

Location:

RCS - Bjorn Saven Centre for Surgical Education
LONDON
WC2A 3PE
United Kingdom
View in Google Maps

Book online

Before booking at the centre, please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.

Before booking at the centre, please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.

Thu
22
Jan
2026
-
Fri
23
Jan
2026
£849.00
LONDON, United Kingdom

22 Jan 2026
-
23 Jan 2026

Here is an overview of the programme

£849.00

Pricing notes:

Full price: £849.00
STM: £679.20 (20% Discount)
Fellow: £679.20 (20% Discount)
Affiliate: £679.20 (20% Discount)

Course Fees:

Please note, we require full payment upon booking. Take a look at the cancellation policy first.

LONDON, United Kingdom

Location:

RCS - Bjorn Saven Centre for Surgical Education
LONDON
WC2A 3PE
United Kingdom
View in Google Maps

Book online

Before booking at the centre, please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.

Before booking at the centre, please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.

Mon
02
Mar
2026
-
Tue
03
Mar
2026
£849.00
LONDON, United Kingdom

02 Mar 2026
-
03 Mar 2026

Here is an overview of the programme

£849.00

Pricing notes:

Full price: £849.00
STM: £679.20 (20% Discount)
Fellow: £679.20 (20% Discount)
Affiliate: £679.20 (20% Discount)

Course Fees:

Please note, we require full payment upon booking. Take a look at the cancellation policy first.

LONDON, United Kingdom

Location:

RCS - Bjorn Saven Centre for Surgical Education
LONDON
WC2A 3PE
United Kingdom
View in Google Maps

Book online

Before booking at the centre, please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.

Before booking at the centre, please ensure you are logged in to your account or, if you do not have an account, have registered.