The UK Thoracoscopy Course is a postgraduate course run annually on one day and is now in its 23rd year. It has been designed to educate both respiratory medicine consultants and registrars in the basics of thoracoscopy. It complements the pleural diseases course, but is run by the team at King’s Mill Hospital.
The course has a strong hands-on practical component. Delegates will be able to learn and practice thoracoscopic techniques.
Appropriate PPE will be available for hands-on sessions.
The next course will take place at King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield. NG17 4JL
Thoracoscopy Course 2026 – provisional programme
| Morning | |
| 0915 Introduction | Nicola Donner |
| 0930 Pleural anatomy | Mark Roberts |
| 1000 Semi Rigid Thoracoscopy | Shahul Khan |
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| 1030 Coffee | |
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| 1045 How to do it overview | Najib Rahman |
| 1130 Practical Session | |
| Demonstrations to include x3 rigid thoracoscopes and x1 semirigid thoracoscopes | Nadeem Maddekar SFH team |
| 1300 Lunch Afternoon | |
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| 1345 Setting up a service | Helen Roberts |
| 1415 Complications of thoracoscopy including pleural appearances | Nicola Downer |
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| 1500 Patient-centred management of malignant pleural effusion | Helen Roberts |
| 1515 Practical session Demonstrations to include x3 rigid thoracoscopes and x1 semirigid thoracoscopes 1600 Finish | Nadeem Maddekar SFH team |
Downloadable programme
Course Organisers
Dr Nicola Downer
Consultant Respiratory Physician King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield
Dr Downer is a respiratory consultant with an interest in pleural disease and education. She is an expert thoracoscopist and current secretary of the UK Pleural Society. She organizes the annual Thoracoscopy Course.
Dr Mark Roberts
Consultant Respiratory Physician King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield
Dr Roberts is a respiratory physician with interests in lung cancer and pleural disease and regularly performs thoracoscopy. He started UK Pleural Society in 2017 which also runs a number of other courses and is the treasurer. He is co-chair of the British Thoracic Society Pleural Guideline Group.
Dr Helen Roberts
Consultant Respiratory Physician King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield
Dr Roberts is a respiratory physician with an interest in pleural disease. She co-authored the recent BTS Pleural Procedures Clinical Statement. She set up the pleural clinic at King’s Mill and has trained our first pleural nurse.
Course Instructors
Prof Eleanor Mishra
Consultant Respiratory Physician, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals
Prof Mishra runs the local pleural service and is an expert thoracoscopist. She has active research interests focusing especially on patient experience and outcomes in pleural disease. She organizes the annual Pleural Research Day for the UKPS.
Nadeem Maddekar
Dr Maddekar is a respiratory physician at University Hospitals of Birmingham. He has an interest in pleural diseases and has run local courses. He is a committee member of the UK Pleural Society. He regularly undertakes semi-rigid thoracoscopy.
Dr Mohammed Munavvar
Dr Munavvar pioneered the use of semi-rigid thoracoscopy in the UK and is currently president of UK Pleural Society.
King’s Mill Conference Centre, Sutton-in-Ashfield. NG17 4JL
“Excellent course”, “Got much more than I expected” 2012
“The programme, teaching and organisation were all excellent” 2011
“I enjoyed the thoracoscopy course, it was very interesting and helpful” 2009
“A very interesting and informative course. All the speakers were excellent.” 2004
“Excellent enjoyable course, I particularly liked the plenty of time for discussion and humour” 2004
“A very good introduction to thoracoscopy” 2005
“It was very good. Rob Davies’ practical instruction was in particular very detailed and precise” 2005
“Useful course and very friendly” 2006
“Well balanced informative course” 2006
