New training programme for junior doctors launched

A new system of postgraduate medical training for junior doctors begins in the UK this week.

Nearly 5,000 trainees are beginning the two-year Foundation Programme, which is replacing the existing house officers' years, this week.

Under the new programme, all junior doctors beginning their first year after medical school will have to show that they are competent in a number of areas, including communication and consultation skills, patient safety and team working, as well as more traditional clinical skills.

Trainees will be given access to a range of career placements across a broad spectrum of specialities during the programme, as well as access to an educational supervisor and clinical supervisor for each placement.

During the first year, junior doctors will still undertake placements in medicine and surgery, as required for registration with the General Medical Council. However, many trusts are now offering three four-month placements, which the government hopes will give many trainees the chance to experience an additional placement in another speciality.

During the second year, trainees will be able to gain experience in primary care, specialities in which there are shortages and academic medicine.

Commenting on the Foundation Programme, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Bill Kirkup said: "At the heart of this new training programme is quality of medical care. By making the continuous development of skills and knowledge central to training, and by making explicit the standards of competence those doctors reach before they progress, the Foundation Programme will improve patient safety as well as medical careers. Because these changes have been introduced systematically across the health service, patients can be assured that doctors at each stage of their career have demonstrated their ability to practise safely and effectively at that level."

(KMcA)