Minister for Health Jo Etienne Abela presided over the signing of an agreement between the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing and the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons of the United Kingdom, which will lead to the establishment of a new centre-of-excellence school model across ten surgical disciplines, a statement said.

Abela said that Malta has been working in collaboration with the British Royal Colleges for decades.

"Today marks a historic moment in the history of surgery in our country and, fittingly, on the 350th anniversary since the opening of Malta's first surgical training school, founded by Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner, we are taking another important step forward for surgery in Malta," Abela said.

The Malta School of Surgery will provide a new platform through which aspiring surgeons will gain access to digital training and assessment experiences that are aligned with British standards of excellence.

Abela explained that this model will ensure that aspiring surgeons receive training and assessment of the highest level, identical to that provided in the United Kingdom.

He added that through an initial expenditure of €500,000 over the next three years, government is reaffirming its vision to enhance the quality of surgical care, ultimately leading to an improved quality of life for patients.

"Malta is making significant advances in this sector through high-level training that continues to strengthen our national health services. Currently, the Ministry subsidises around 50 surgeons each year to receive hands-on training in the United Kingdom, and we remain committed to continuing our support so that our professionals can deliver the best possible care to Gozitan and Maltese patients," Abela said.

Also present for the signing were Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, the UK's Deputy High Commissioner to Malta Tristan Gilchrist, as well as the Director of the Malta School of Surgery Orthopaedic Surgeon John Casaletto.