Inaugural Think Tank project - The importance of training in the modern health service
Arrash Arya Yassaee, Think Tank Lead...
All clinicians, especially trainees, know first-hand how important good quality training is, not only to the standard of care we deliver to our patients, but also to staff morale and retention. For this reason we are perfectly placed to advise the relevant bodies on the value of training, not only to doctors as individuals, but to the healthcare service as a whole, and why, in the interests of sustainability and patient safety, it must be prioritised at all levels of the system.
As health boards feel the pressure of efficiency savings and rising patient demand, too often we find our training time, opportunities and supervision squeezed out for service provision or target-based care. This has a direct effect on the skills and knowledge we bring to the workforce, to the morale of doctors in training, as well as to the long-term quality of healthcare.
With the rates of doctors leaving the NHS to work abroad or in other professions rising to an all-time high, we are already witnessing the impact this has on service delivery and its financial cost. It is time these costs are recognised and the reputation of training as an ‘easy target’ for savings objectively and critically assessed.
The TSG Think Tank at FMLM is recruiting dedicated individuals for a project investigating the role and importance of training within the framework of the modern NHS. Throughout the next few months we are looking to run a number of key events exploring the topic before authoring a policy document that will outline the current framework for training, make recommendations for improvement in key areas, and crucially set out why training must remain high on the agenda for the success of our evolving NHS.
If you would like to apply to this project or receive more information, please contact charlie.williams [at] doctors.org.uk (Charlie Williams), Think Tank Member, for more details. Visit the Project Bank to discover more opportunities to get involved with FMLM.