Sub‐specialization in general surgery: the problem of providing a safe emergency general surgical service

Abstract

The mismatch between the subspecialist elective interests of the consultant general surgeon and out of hours specialist major surgery needing consultant involvement occurred infrequently, and was mainly due to major lower gastrointestinal cases managed by upper gastrointestinal and breast surgeons. This has important implications for the future training of general surgeons and the provision of an emergency nonvascular general surgical service.