Royal College of Surgeons of England accredits Shelford START programme for robotic-assisted surgery training
25 Mar 2026
This accreditation follows a comprehensive quality assurance process and provides reassurance to trainees and participating centres that START delivers a high-quality learning experience. The programme also meets the recommendations set out in national guidance on the implementation of robotic-assisted surgery in England, supporting the safe and effective expansion of RAS across NHS services.
Developed by the Shelford Group in partnership with the Newcastle Surgical Training Centre, START aims to deliver comprehensive, standardised surgical robotics training across Intuitive’s da Vinci, CMR Surgical’s Versius and the Medtronic Hugo™ RAS surgical system. The programme was developed by Professor Alan Horgan, who continues to serve as its Clinical Lead, and is currently available to General Surgery trainees (commencing ST5) in the North East, North West and East of England with the ambition to broaden access as the programme expands later this year.
START offers trainees the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and expertise in RAS at an earlier stage in their career. Taking place over 36–48 months, trainees progress through a structured, multi-phase curriculum that reflects the complex and evolving skill set required for safe and effective robotic-assisted surgery. The programme combines e-learning, industry-led technology training, simulation tasks with performance metrics and feedback, and hands-on skills days using high-fidelity models, before progressing to bedside assisting, speciality-specific surgical skills lab training and supervised console experience. A dedicated online Skills Tracker enables trainees to log activity, receive supervisor feedback and monitor progress against milestones.
The Shelford Group has welcomed the support from RCS England and the opportunity to work with the College to take START through its accreditation process, helping to ensure the programme provides trainees with the highest standards of surgical training and education in this dynamic and fast developing area of healthcare.
Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “Robotic-assisted surgery has the potential to transform patient care by enhancing surgical precision, improving visualisation, and supporting better operative outcomes, as well as enabling faster recovery and fewer complications. As the NHS expands its use of RAS, it is essential that surgeons have access to consistent, high-quality education. I am pleased that RCS England has accredited the Shelford START programme, which has demonstrated that it meets our programme accreditation standards and offers a high-quality learning experience for trainees.”
Professor Clive Kay, Chair of the Shelford Group, said: “We developed START to help build a sustainable pipeline of surgeons with the skills needed for the future of NHS surgery, and to do so in a way that is consistent, platform-agnostic and aligned with national guidance on implementing robotic-assisted surgery. We welcome this recognition from RCS England, which provides added assurance to trainees, trainers and participating centres that START will deliver the highest standards of surgical education as this field continues to evolve at pace.”
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to supporting surgical education through the accreditation of high-quality learning. Accreditation ensures that educational activity has met required standards and provides assurance to participants that courses and programmes will deliver a high-quality learning experience.
ENDS