GMC Statement – Response to Medical Education England’s Foundation for Excellence report

Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the General Medical Council said:

“We welcome Professor Collins’s report, which represents the outcome of an exhaustive and meticulous process of evaluation of the Foundation Programme. Although the report applies to England, it is extremely helpful that, during his review, Professor Collins engaged extensively with the other UK countries.    

We support Professor Collins’s conclusion that the Foundation Programme has many strengths and that, while some changes are needed to improve its effectiveness, they should be approached in a spirit of evolution, not revolution.  The GMC will now address the recommendations about the regulation of the Foundation Programme, some of which already form part of our new Education Strategy, including defining the outcomes required to complete the Foundation Programme and evaluating the case for student registration.
 
The report confirms evidence from our own Quality Assurance activity that some Foundation Trainees are not being adequately supervised and supported, pressuring them to act beyond their competence with obvious risks for patients. We will continue to act where we become of aware of this, but it is important that NHS organisations deploy Foundation doctors appropriately.

The two years spent in the Foundation Programme are fundamental to a new doctor’s training and have a huge influence on their future career. We look forward to working closely with our partners in taking this important work forward, so that young doctors can continue to lay the foundations for good, safe, medical practice in a supportive, educational environment.”