Most training and supervision of junior doctors is good, but there are serious concerns that need to be tackled urgently, according to the General Medical Council.
But while most training is meeting the standards set out by the GMC, trainees have identified some areas where it is not satisfactory. The GMC is calling on senior doctors, managers and medical educators to help tackle these concerns.
In particular some doctors say they do not feel adequately prepared for their future roles, with 25% of newly qualified doctors saying they did not feel ready to take the next step in their careers. Some trainees (22%) reported that on a regular basis they were forced to cope with challenges for which they felt inadequately prepared.
The need for improved supervision and feedback was also identified, with over a quarter (28%) of trainees reporting that they rarely or never received feedback from senior colleagues.
Trainees continued to raise concerns about the Working Time Regulations. Almost two-thirds said they regularly worked more than the limit of 48 hours a week. A significant minority (31%) said it was taking them longer to meet the competences they need in their training within the 48-hour working week, which was introduced in 2009.
The GMC will now work with senior doctors, managers and medical educators to bring about improvement and change. This includes consulting on proposals for the approval and recognition of trainers to help strengthen arrangements for support and supervision.
‘Trainee doctors are the future of healthcare in this country - the training they receive now will affect the care delivered in every hospital ward and GP surgery for years to come. The stakes are high; we simply must get it right.
‘Overall, trainees continue to be very satisfied with their training, but the concerns they have raised need to be urgently addressed by all those with responsibility for supporting doctors. In these difficult financial times for health service throughout the UK, it is vital the education and training are protected and that these young doctors are given the support they need not only to provide good care now but to develop into great leaders for the future.
‘The trainee survey is a vital part of our work to support improvements in medical training and to make sure it meets the standards we require. Together with the Postgraduate Deans we will use these results to support inspections and to provide feedback to those responsible for providing education.’
Notes to editors:
1. This press release was updated on 22 November 2011.
2. The full report can be downloaded from the GMC’s website, www.gmc-uk.org/nts.
3. The results were published at the GMC’s Education Conference held today at the Barbican Centre, London.
4. The National Training Surveys are also supported by the Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans (COPMed).
5. More than 46,000 doctors responded to the National Survey of Trainee Doctors 2011.
6. Trainees answered the survey between 2 May and 22 July 2011, and were asked to think about the post they held on 2 May 2011. All respondents answered some general questions about their posts. Additional questions were aimed at trainees in specific posts, such as foundation trainees, or related to their specialty training where relevant.
7. The programme for the 2011 GMC Education Conference ‘Medical Education …in a cold climate’ is available on our website. http://www.gmc-uk.org/Medical_education...in_a_cold_climate___Programme.pdf_45324945.pdf
8. The GMC’s priority is to promote high standards of medical education and training, so patients can be confident they will receive safe, high-quality care.
For further information please contact the Media Relations Office on 020 7189 5454, out of hours 020 7189 5444/ 07920 461497, email press@gmc-uk.org, website http://www.gmc-uk.org/.
The General Medical Council registers and licenses doctors to practise medicine in the UK.
The law gives us four main functions:
- keeping up-to-date registers of qualified doctors
- fostering good medical practice
- promoting high standards of medical education and training
- dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt
