To reject trainee surgeon?

The majority are actually net takers rather than net contributors so it would depend on your income and other factors.
Even if you are a top 1% income tax payer, you still don't get to pick your surgeon if you choose to use the NHS. That is what private medicine enables.

It is free at point of access! You wonder why people have been harsh with you on this thread it’s because of this kind of attitude. A lot of people work very hard in our NHS which is massively underfunded and staff are overworked.
Would I be happy that a Registrar was carrying out an operation on my child - yes, I would 100%

As we all do. So how does that work, if we all pay through our NI and so on, yet YOU want to call the shots on who treats your family? You must see that can't work. And you do know there is a different more expensive option that gives you that choice.

Mother of a doctor here. Quite cross to realise she probably has to put up with stuff like this from entitled patients.

I'm sorry that I seem to have offended you. I wasn't trying to be rude. Whereas I think you are now trying to be rude. So we'll leave it at that.

So why did you ask, if you've already decided?

Yes you do have the right to choose to go private.

If you are under the NHS then they are not asking you I'm afraid. They are informing you. Unless you go private you don't get a choice, besides refusing the entire surgery.
Be mindful that if you refuse it they are not obligated to offer you another surgery with the consultant operating - you will be put to the bottom of the list to wait again and you are likely still end up with a registrar doing the surgery.

Regardless of who operates the consultant is still responsible for the outcome - so they're not going to let a registrar do anything they are not fully capable of.

People are frustrated, I think, with the fact this information is readily available online, you can literally google it and it will tell you registrars are incredibly well trained, are not considered "students" and that you don't really get a choice - not in the sense that you can insist a consultant does the entire surgery. Best to do minimal research yourself before seeking an opinion in such a large forum.
Your OP does sound rather disparaging, it would have been less so if you'd looked into it a little bit and understood who would be assisting and the level of experience they actually have. Realistically your question would be different also "Should I refuse a surgery my child needs because a registrar will be performing some or all of it? Despite the fact if I refuse it the next surgery I'm offered may also be performed by a registrar?" I think that question really answers itself and you would not have had to endure the negative feedback.

As a parent you're going to worry - but you also are responsible for being realistic. It's hard but we have to at least try to set aside our emotions and make logical decisions.

@KidsDr no, actually I don't.
If you have been following this you would know why I wrote it that way.
I hope assuming isn't something you do often, maybe next time ask and find out. Diagnostics at its finest............

As a ODP 100% the “student” will be supervised by the senior who will be scrubbed in to assist should the need arise…..when they say student its definitely not someone in 1st 2nd or 3rd yr of Uni 🤣🤣 theyve had a wealth of experience and knowledge and could be now specialising in this role.
further to this its known that more experienced people tend to make more “mistakes” because they are complacent and “could do this in there sleep” where as a junior would be well read and prepared for the procedure whilst seeking out guidance if they needed to.

What is it you don’t understand?

Are you sure the consultant said ‘student’? They are usually referred to as Resident Doctor or Registrar. Most of us have no idea who actually carries out our surgery but there is always a Consultant on hand supervising the process. You should be grateful your DS is getting such good treatment free of charge.

There is no such thing as a student surgeon. Whoever this is will have a minimum of 10 years experience and will be watched by an extremely experienced eye surgeon so you’re child will be doubly safe and get the highest level of care.

Having recently gone through the same i hope your daughter is doing well

Having recently gone through the same i hope your daughter is doing well

That,
they train next generation and you can say no but you won’t be there so they will do as they please.
you can refuse the surgery or pay privately for an very senior surgeon…but there aswell can be a mistake. What will you tell yourself then?

Most surgeons that I have known are pretty fussy about who is operating on them and have a good ask around first. So I am not convinced by those who are coming on here saying that the trainee will be fine.

But, OTOH, if the trainee has actually done the operation many times before, he may be an excellent choice. Totally fair to ask.

But I also take the point that on the NHS you don’t get the choice other than the hospital, and there may even be a long wait for that.

Maybe, OP, if you say what the procedure is, some experts on here will be able to advise whether the risks are actually considerable or that it is relatively straightforward.

How do they get that experience?

I think you are wrong, you will have the consultant there and a registrar, two senior doctors with many years experience. The one with less experience doing the surgery but under the guidance of the consultant.

If it is an unusual surgery the theatre might also have quite a few observers.

OP I am on your team with this one and don’t understand some of the comments on this thread!

They won’t be a student!!!! Ffs.

I think you should ask for further guidance on this. It’s reasonable to question what your husband was told-you weren’t there to voice your concerns. It may be that, after you have asked for more information , you feel happier to make a decision.

I think this post wins the prize for being the least helpful and sympathetic. @RunningThroughMyHead has every right to feel as she does and l think most parents would be feeling the same. Most of us are not medical experts and it is very easy to get confused as the terminology seems change on a regular basis. It is one thing to agree to a slightly less experienced surgeon when undergoing an operation oneself but it is natural to have extra concerns when it comes to your child, especially when the operation carries significant risks. However, we have to trust the doctors in the end and l am sure that they would only let someone who really knows what they are doing operate on a child. I hope the operation is a complete success, @RunningThroughMyHead.

As others said they wouldn't let someone do this if they were not qualified. Plus they will be watched like a hawk throughout the whole thing. If this person is newly qualified they will be super careful, trained recently in latest surgical technique and will not be cocky and arrogant about the whole procedure. I make this last point having had 2 bodged surgeries in my life (neither of which were complicated) both of which were by highly qualified consultants who were either over confident or just didn't give a crap. Not sure which. Throughout my hospital care the younger less qualified doctors always gave me better information, listened and responded to my concerns in a non patronising way....unlike their more experienced colleagues! Who just fobbed me off and made me feel like I was wasting their time by even being there. I would go for the newly qualified person you will probably have a better experience.

Would be a pre reg…so, someone just about to qualify, how can the optometrist and ophthalmologist become so, without performing their skills?

This response nailed it.

If you want to choose your surgeon you go private. If not, be a bit more grateful.