Medical training survey raises serious concerns

THE majority of junior doctors’ training is good but there are serious concerns that must be dealt with urgently, according to a survey by the General Medical Council.

The views and experiences of more than 46,000 UK trainees have been expressed in the GMC’s annual National Training Survey 2011.

Overall satisfaction with training is increasing, with 79 per cent of doctors rating their training as excellent. But while most training is meeting standards set by the GMC, some areas of concern have been highlighted.

A quarter of doctors said they did not feel adequately prepared for their future roles while 22 per cent of trainees said they were regularly forced to cope with challenges for which they felt under-prepared. The need for improved supervision and feedback was also highlighted with over a quarter (28 per cent) of trainees reporting they rarely or never received feedback from senior colleagues.

Trainees continued to raise concerns about the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). Almost two-thirds said they regularly worked more than the 48-hour a week limit while 31 per cent said it was taking them longer to meet the competences needed in their training because of the EWTD. The directive was introduced in 2009.

The GMC now plans to work with senior doctors, managers and medical educators to help tackle these concerns.

GMC chief executive Niall Dickson said: “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.

“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."

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The National Training Survey 2011