Call for ideas in major training review

JUNIOR doctors are being asked to take part in a major review of UK postgraduate medical education and training.

The Shape of Training review wants to hear from trainees, medical students and other UK healthcare professionals about how doctors should be trained in the next 30 years.

The review will ask what kind of doctors patients will need in 30 years’ time and what balance will be needed between specialists and generalists. It will also seek views on how training can be made more flexible to meet the changing needs of the health service and patients. The review will look at how these elements affect the content, length and end of training.

In addition to written and oral evidence, the review will involve discussions with key groups at a series of seminars, workshops and meetings. Research has been commissioned to help the review better understand how postgraduate medical education and training and the medical profession may change over time.

Professor David Greenaway of Nottingham University, who is leading the review, said: “Evolving healthcare and population needs, changes to healthcare systems and changing patient and public expectations will all affect how doctors will practise in the future.

“Shaping the doctors of the future is a hugely important task and we need to consider how postgraduate medical education and training should change to continue to meet the needs of patients and health services in the future.”

All feedback will help gauge how any proposed changes are likely to affect different key groups such as patients, doctors in training and organisations responsible for training doctors and employers.

Doctors can put forward their views until February 8, 2013. For more information visit the Shape of Training website