TIG Fellowship in Hand Surgery

Hand Surgery is an “Interface Specialty” in that training can be provided by either or both of two parent specialties, namely Plastic Surgery and Trauma & Orthopaedic (T&O) Surgery. Each discipline offers mutually complementary perspective and skills training in the management of hand and wrist conditions.

The aspiration of the fellowship is to produce hand surgeons who are well versed in the breadth and depth of hand surgery. Fellows will be expected to gain exposure and training in open hand surgery, microsurgery, arthroscopic surgery and minimally invasive surgery, as applicable in the treatment of traumatic, degenerative, infective, inflammatory, neoplastic and congenital pathologies affecting the hand and upper limb. 

The inception of these advanced training posts (ATP) was in 1992. They represent the pinnacle of Hand Surgery training in the UK and serve as the breeding ground for our future leaders in the specialty.

The fellowship is open to specialist trainees from either plastic or orthopaedic backgrounds, who are committed to the practice of Hand Surgery. 

Candidates who are successful in obtaining one of these posts will carry their National Training Number (NTN) with them. These posts count as “Out-of-Programme Training” (OOPT). One of the referees for these appointments must be the trainee’s current Training Programme Director (TPD). The OOPT form can be downloaded from the Deanery website and must be completed by the trainee and the TPD.

Candidates will be expected to have passed the respective full Intercollegiate Specialty Board Examination and have reached an adequate standard in their parent specialty, prior to taking up the posts. 

Recruitment is centrally managed by Health Education South West via a competitive interview process. The successful candidates will be asked to rank from the currently approved posts, with those ranked highest at interview being offered their highest choice unit available.

Further details are also available from the JCST and Severn Postgraduate Medical Education websites.

For each appointed Fellow, there is a study leave allowance of £1000 for the year funded nationally until these fellowships become post-CCT. In addition, BSSH will provide up to £500 funding, when budget allows, to support attendance at BSSH-organised courses and certain scientific meetings (BSSH, FESSH and IFSSH). These monies cannot be used to fund the Hand Diploma per se. 

All Fellows will be expected to attend the annual residential event for all TIG Fellows. Fellows will also have access to the Hand-e educational resource of ASSH and the e-LPRAS UK online learning tools. 

Upon achieving pre-defined competencies and fulfilling the requirements of the post, the Fellow will receive a Certificate of Completion of the TIG Fellowship in Hand Surgery.   The TIG committee are responsible for setting the standards required for interface training and providing oversight for existing advanced training posts.

There are currently 13 approved units. There is currently funding for 10 appointments in England, one in Wales and one in Scotland, each of which will be for 12 months full-time or pro rata for part-time (minimum 60% full-time equivalent).  Click on one of the units below for further details on the individual programme:

• Bath & Bristol
• Birmingham 
• Cambridge
• Derby 
• Edinburgh
• Leeds
• Manchester 
• Newcastle
• Norwich 
• Oxford 
• Sheffield 
• Swansea
• Wrightington & Liverpool

Other hand units who wish to host a TIG Fellow may apply by completing the Hospital Application Form (HAF). Further information is available on the JCST website.

The hand surgery curriculum can be found HERE.