How the national training survey improved clinical oncology trainees’ satisfaction at Belfast City Hospital
In 2019 the national training survey results for the clinical oncology department at Belfast City Hospital showed that training was rated as below average in several areas. These areas included local teaching, feedback, and overall satisfaction.
What action was taken?
To improve the standards, the department worked with trainees and trainers to develop a set of initiatives to address their concerns and improve their experiences, including:
- Making local teaching more flexible. Trainees had difficulties in accessing local and regional teaching, which was provided in short weekly formats. Teaching has been restructured to a longer monthly session and this time is protected.
- Expanding the team to reduce workloads. The department hired more non-medical staff to support chemotherapy clinics. This reduced the workload for trainees and added more varied skills into the team.
- Improving reporting systems. A system is in place to make sure that senior staff disseminate any changes to practice with other colleagues, helping to raise awareness of issues. Trainees are also provided with regular email updates on safety concerns and invited to Safety and Governance meetings.
- Improving clinical supervision out of hours. Educational meetings now cover any issues with levels of supervision. This allows staff to highlight shortages with supervision and ensures that any issues are quickly resolved.
What was the outcome?
As a result of these changes, the standards of training in the department have improved. This is reflected in the national training survey results. Overall satisfaction has remained in line with the national average, while scores for clinical supervision, handover, and educational governance in 2024 and 2025 exceeded national benchmarks.
The department continues to monitor the national training survey results to check that initiatives are still effective, and that training is meeting our standards. The evidence provided in the results informs the department as to which areas are working well and where further interventions are needed.
