Congratulations to our new Grassroots in Surgery scheme partners

We’re pleased to announce that eight projects created to improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in surgery will receive our funding and support for the year ahead through our Grassroots in Surgery scheme.

The Grassroots in Surgery Scheme was created in response to the recommendations made in the Kennedy Review and aims to drive meaningful change in the profession.

Our partners for this year are:

​​Achieving Surgical Excellence for Black Trainees

​The Achieving Surgical Excellence for Black Trainees will be establishing an online group mentoring programme specifically designed for black trainee surgeons in the UK. The programme will provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and professional development resources to focus on improving outcomes for black surgical trainees.

British Association of Filipino Physicians and Surgeons

The British Association of Filipino Physicians and Surgeons provides a support network for Filipino UK graduates and international graduate doctors and medical students. This year they are providing a series of workshops designed to help individuals navigate the UK healthcare system and address the skills required for entry into surgical specialty training.

Find out more about the British Association of Filipino Physicians and Surgeons

InclusiMed

InclusiMed is an exciting new organisation who are working toward creating an all-in-one ‘MedParent Hub’ app designed to support the parental needs of doctors and surgeons. The app aims to integrate medical expertise with parenting tools, promoting work-life balance and fostering a supportive community within the NHS.

Medical Women’s Federation: The #TheatreCapChallenge for women medical students

The Medical Women’s Federation’s latest project is designed to improve the working lives of female doctors and promote their personal and professional development. Specifically, they are commissioning a large number of customised theatre caps, with a variety of options available, including for hijab wearers and those with afro hair.

Find out more about the Medical Women’s Federation

OrthoPlastics Society, Sheffield

This student-led society promotes opportunities for career development in both orthopaedic and plastic surgery. Their project ‘Orthopod Scholars: Empowering Diverse Futures’ will offer mentorship, career guidance, support and scholarships to medical students and junior doctors from minority backgrounds to inspire a diverse and multicultural training workforce.

Return To Work Trauma & Orthopaedics

The Working Group was established to design and deliver a Return to Work Workshop for Trauma and Orthopaedic Registrars who are returning to work after a period of leave for maternity, research or illness. The workshops recognise the unique challenges which are not addressed by generic return-to-work schemes.

SupportUs Group of the ALSGBI Academy

This branch of the ALSGBI Academy provides support and representation for aspiring surgical care providers of differing backgrounds, characteristics and circumstances to help overcome obstacles in their career progression. Their Ambassador Programme and Matched Mentoring Scheme aims to identify and train ambassadors from key demographics across the surgical workforce and pair them with individuals who are seeking support with specific topics.

Find out more about SupportUs Group of the ALSGBI Academy

The Aspire Initiative

This group’s mission is to encourage diversity and uptake among future surgeons by providing insights and experiences through workshops and talks to school students in the East Midlands. This year, they will be hosting a careers workshop, free of charge to offer guidance, inspiration, and mentorship to students applying for a medical degree from widening participation backgrounds.

Find out more about The Aspire Initiative

We will deliver a one-day careers workshop, free-of-charge, to offer insights into life as a surgeon. The audience of the workshop are students considering applying for a medical degree who come from widening participation backgrounds

The partnerships will run from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025. We encourage you to find out more via the links above.

For further information or enquiries about the Grassroots in Surgery scheme, please email us.

Read more about our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan.