Junior doctors raise training concerns

 Overall satisfaction with training is continuing to increase, with 79% of doctors rating their training as excellent. However, while most training is meeting the standards set out by the GMC, trainees have identified some areas where it is not satisfactory. The GMC is calling on senior doctors, managers and medical educators to help tackle these concerns. In particular, some doctors say they do not feel adequately prepared for their future roles, with 25% of newly qualified doctors saying they did not feel ready to take the next step in their careers. Some trainees (22%) reported that, on a regular basis, they were forced to cope with challenges for which they felt inadequately prepared. The need for improved supervision and feedback was also identified, with over a quarter (28%) of trainees reporting that they rarely or never received feedback from senior colleagues. Trainees continued to raise concerns about the Working Time Regulations. Almost twothirds said they regularly worked more than the limit of 48 hours a week. A significant minority (31%) said it was taking them longer to meet the competences they need in their training within the 48-hour working week. The GMC will now work with senior doctors, managers and medical educators to bring about improvement and change. This includes consulting on proposals for the approval and recognition of trainers to help strengthen arrangements for support and supervision. Niall Dickson, the chief executive of the General Medical Council, said: “In these difficult financial times for the health service throughout the UK, it is vital that education and training are protected and that these young doctors are given the support they need not only to provide good care now, but to develop into great leaders for the future.”