Following the ‘Shape of Training’ review undertaken in 2013, it has this week been reported by the BBC that leading doctors in the UK have warned that the proposals within the review to shorten training for qualified doctors in the UK could significantly compromise patient safety.
Currently, doctors spend the first two years following graduation rotating between several different areas of medicine. Many doctors will then stay within one area until they reach consultant level.
At present, it can take 8 to 10 years to reach consultant level.
The review was an independent assessment of specialist doctor training and made a range of recommendations. It was chaired by Professor Sir David Greenaway of the University of Nottingham and involved many different organisations, including the General Medical Council.
One proposal made within the review was to shorten consultant training to between 6 and 8 years. Another recommendation was to allow doctors to be fully registered to practise when they left medical school rather than the present system, which requires doctors to wait a year before becoming fully registered.
The review report argued that changing the structure of training may be required because there are more patients with a complex mixture of conditions meaning that doctors need to have a greater breadth of knowledge, rather than specialising early in their careers.
However, it has been reported that leading doctors are concerned that these changes could mean that doctors will be allowed to practise freely before they have gained the skills they need. The concerns have led the British Medical Association to call for a pause in policy development while safety concerns are addressed.
The Royal College of Physicians was reported as saying that to shorten doctors’ training would “compromise both quality or patient care and patient safety”.
A junior doctor has said that:
“Without doing anything to improve training quality, cutting training time is potentially harmful, particularly if you devalue what it means to be a consultant. The consultants do train the trainees so if your consultants are less skilled then there may be a knock-on effect.”
The Department of Health has said that no decision has been taken to shorten consultant training or change doctors’ registration and advised that any changes would only be implemented if they were in the best interests of patients and following appropriate consultation.
Comment
Cuts to training are worrying. A reduction in the amount of training required could result in consultants with less experience or expertise. It is important for patient safety that doctors receive appropriate and adequate training before reaching this enhanced level of their career. It is vital that these proposals are carefully considered and scrutinised before they are implemented and that patient safety is the greatest priority.
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