‘Second victim’ support pilot established for surgeons

The RCSI is taking part in a new collaborative programme to support surgeons’ wellbeing after adverse events, this newspaper understands.

In early 2024, the Royal College of Surgeons of England launched the SUPPORT (Surgeon Peer-led Post-incident Response Teams) initiative, which is designed to deliver one-to-one peer support to surgeons.

This initiative was noted at a meeting of the RCSI council in April, during a discussion on the ‘second victim’. This term recognises that adverse events can also have a serious impact on healthcare professionals, as well as on patients in the first instance. Research has shown that the impact of adverse events on healthcare professionals can be long-lasting. It can lead to them considering leaving their career, as well as decreased quality-of-life and increased risk of burnout, among other harms.

According to minutes seen by this newspaper under Freedom of Information law, the meeting of the RCSI council heard that many surgeons are often unprepared for their profound emotional responses to adverse patient events.

The SUPPORT initiative is aimed at improving the support systems provided to surgeons and surgical trainees. The programme will include webinars, workshops, data collection, and peer-to-peer support.

Council members were told that Tallaght University Hospital had been chosen as the support pilot site in Ireland.

An RCSI spokesperson told the Medical Independent (MI) that this initiative has since commenced and is being led by Mr Kilian Walsh, RCSI council member and Consultant Urologist in University Hospital Galway. The spokesperson said there will be an update on the project in early 2025.

“We think that a programme such as this is important in Ireland,” the RCSI’s spokesperson told MI. “It can be a valuable support for surgeons and is part of the RCSI’s focus on supporting surgical professional lives.”

At the launch of SUPPORT in England earlier this year, Prof Vivien Lees, Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “We recognise the profound psychological impact of adverse events on surgeons personally and professionally, and by implementing our guidance, we hope to improve the support provided to surgeons after adverse events in surgery.

“Improving morale and ensuring their wellbeing remains a top priority and will help to retain surgeons at all levels, which is crucial to tackling the current challenges faced by health services.”

Also speaking at the launch, Mr Kevin Turner, Consultant Urologist, Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University, and Surgical Lead for the SUPPORT Improvement Collaborative, said: “When things go wrong in surgery, the most important people are the affected patient and their loved ones. But surgeons can be harmed too. This harm can be profound, wide-ranging, and long-lasting.

“Frustratingly, surgeons are the least likely of all doctors to engage with existing support initiatives when they are involved in an adverse event: We must support surgeons better.”