eP697 - Development of a Unique Surgical SKills Centre at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Affiliation with University College Dubiln, Ireland

Purpose/Background: Designed to respond to clinical training needs, the Surgical SKills Centre caters for skills enhancement at all training levels and allows new technologies and procedures to be introduced and perfected in a high-fidelity, low stress environment. The centre offers a comprehensive range of models for training and research, including access to human cadaveric models at postgraduate level thanks to partnership with UCD Anatomy and Medical Council accreditation. Original old theatres of Mater Hospital is the site for these activities and development.Methods/Interventions: Established in August 2017, the centre has hosted 100 cadaveric workshops, 50+ animal tissue wet labs, regular general and specialty-specific skills workshops with synthetic models and simulation trainers, device development and testing workshops, equipment demo and trialling sessions as well as weekly undergraduate simulation sessions and skills teaching throughout the academic year. Services have been provided to fourteen specialties and also to allied health professions, either as single-specialty events or often now as cohesive multidisciplinary/multi-specialty workshops. Excellent working relationships have been cultivated with over twenty companies, from global med-tech leaders to indigenous SMEs. In many cases these companies are now repeat users of the facility based on their positive experience with the centre and their confidence in its ability to respond to the most complex training requirements including in-suite fluoroscopy for intraoperative image guided surgery and CT for digital-twin imaging. With larger companies relationships have been developed with multiple divisions to serve the specific training needs of each.Results/Outcomes: Over 500 trainee surgeons and 160 consultant surgeons have benefitted from cadaveric workshops at the centre. The centre delivers regular study days and skills training in collaboration with RCSI, RCPI Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland, including curriculum courses for RCSI HST and BST Programmes. A number of courses are now fixtures on the training calendar. Where appropriate CPD accreditation is available. During this pilot phase and in line with its academic mission to respond to clinical training needs, the centre has charged only for courses supported by industry or training bodies so the majority of courses to date have been free to delegates. Fourteen publications arising from research and training at the centre, with a further eight other presentations. The total number of sponsored courses and workshops to date is upwards of 45.Conclusion/

Discussion: Initiated without start-up funding, in the pilot phase the centre has been run with two part-time staff funded by Universty College Dublin, one clinical and one administrative. Over the last 6 years and with the various workshops completed to date, a unique opportunity has arisen to allow for "on-site" high fidelty training for various surgical fields. This establishment has the potential to generate income and give access to surgical trainees and trainers alike to use its affiliated capablities as an adjunct to the national training programs.