The new chair of a major review into medical training has pledged to bring the “dial up” system into the modern era.
Professor Dame Jane Dacre has been appointed by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to implement the Medical Education and Training Review, delivering change to UK’s creaking medical training system.
The first phase of a review into postgraduate medical training was published last year to understand current challenges and identify key areas for potential improvements.
A comprehensive engagement exercise for the review generated over 8,000 responses and the phase 1 diagnostic report made 11 recommendations around 4 key priorities:
- More flexible training
- Removing the divide between service and training
- Ending the damaging recruitment bottlenecks
- Rebuilding teams where doctors feel valued
The implementation team, led by Dame Jane, will now work with doctors, the General Medical Council, Medical Schools Council, royal colleges and other bodies to drive change, ensuring the voices of other clinical professionals, patients and managers are heard.
Professor Dame Jane Dacre said: “In 2003, we created the medical education and training system we still use today. A system designed in an era of dial up internet and Blockbuster is not the one we need in the age of artificial intelligence and Netflix.
“The world has moved on but medical education and training hasn’t kept up. Everybody agrees radical change is needed, and I want the next generation to experience a new approach that ensures we have resident doctors who flourish, who are trained where patients need them and who are better treated by the system.
“We want to support all resident doctors to feel valued and to aspire to excellence. To make the NHS fit for the future, we need to reshape how we train doctors who are key to the future NHS and we need to start now.
“This next step is not further diagnosis, but a professionally led approach to turning the findings so far into meaningful improvement and reform.”
The 4-nation implementation activity is sponsored by Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and Professor Meghana Pandit, National Medical Director at NHS England.
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS National Medical Director, said: “Dame Jane’s appointment will move us forward quickly. She will provide trusted professional leadership and take the NHS collectively towards a better medical training regime that is fit for the middle of the 21st century.
“It is time to stop admiring the problem and start fixing it. Jane is the ideal person to do that.”
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: “The first phase of the medical training review identified many areas training can be improved. Professor Dacre has the experience across the medical profession that makes her well placed to guide this important work as independent chair.”
More details on the Medical Education and Training Review are available on the NHS England website.
