This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Blueprint for medical education and training
09/06/2004
Two Reports examining the future shape of the medical
workforce in Scotland and how we train doctors were
published by the Executive today.
The Reports are: Review of Basic Medical Education in
Scotland, which explores ideas for increasing access to and
output from medical schools in Scotland; and Securing
Future Practice, which reviews the career structures and
training of hospital doctors and general practitioners.
They were commissioned by the Executive and have been
prepared by groups chaired by Sir Kenneth Calman, former
Chief Medical Officer and Vice Chancellor of Durham
University and Professor Sir John Temple, former President
of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"The future of modern, sustainable and safe healthcare
relies on an appropriately trained, supported and valued
medical workforce. We know that the current model for
education and training will not match the demand which the
service will need to deliver healthcare in the future.
"Scotland's medical education is admired the world-over
and is underpinned by traditional structures and
institutions dating back to the seventeenth century. Never
before has there been a fundamental review of medical
education in Scotland.
"The context for the new medical workforce in Scotland
is very different to when the NHS began. As we consider a
comprehensive shake-up of medical education, we must also
assess those factors which now impact on the medical
workforce in NHSScotland.
"The health service in the 21st century faces new
demands: it must accommodate 24 hour care; advances in
technology; caring for more complex health needs; and
increased patient expectations. Doctors deliver effective
healthcare as part of multi-disciplinary teams and it is
vital that their training and career needs are supported
under new, modern arrangements.
"Sir Kenneth's Report provides a unique opportunity for
detailed consideration of the arrangements for medical
education in our medical schools and looks at how the needs
of NHSScotland can be met.
"His proposals go right to the core of how medical
education is currently provided and for widening
opportunities. It is important that his proposals are
assessed not only in light of what we know about the future
needs of the health service but also in the way higher
education should be provided in a more flexible and diverse
way.
"Sir John's Report provides a clear and timely analysis
of the challenges facing NHSScotland today and how our
medical workforce can be better shaped to meet its needs: a
streamlined, simpler and understandable career structure
for doctors; service re-design where required: and improved
regional and national workforce planning.
"I wish to extend my thanks to Sir Kenneth and Sir John
and those who considered these issues with them. These two
Reports provide a very useful next step to underpin
Executive's commitment to support the professional
development, recruitment and retention of medical staff.
They help us plan for the future and prepare for the
significant challenges to health service delivery we know
lie ahead."
In response to Future Practice, published in 2002 - the
first such review of medical workforce planning in
Scotland, Sir Kenneth Calman was asked by the Executive to
look into basic medical education and Professor Sir John
Temple to lead a group who would give further consideration
to a wide range of factors relating to the future shape of
medical careers in Scotland.
The Review of Basic Medical Education in Scotland
suggests proposals for widening access to medical education
concerning:
* additional medical students numbers
* admission to Scottish medical schools
* collaboration between the Scottish medical schools
* workforce planning
The Group worked with key stakeholder organisations and
individuals including University Medical Schools, NHS
Education for Scotland (NES), the Scottish Higher Education
Funding Council (SHEFC), Royal Colleges, BMA, and
NHSScotland.
A formal response from the Executive will be published
this autumn.
Speaking today, Sir Kenneth Calman said:
"Scottish medical schools are working well together and
are leading the field in educational development. The
proposals recommend improvements in the educational process
and an increase in the number of medical students phased
over several years. It has been an exciting area to
review. The changes suggested should keep Scotland at the
forefront of educational development."
The Temple Group considering the future shape of the
medical workforce consisted of a cross-NHS,
cross-professional membership and also involved a number of
key stakeholders.
Shaping the New Medical Workforce for Scotland looked
into factors affecting the needs of NHSScotland seeking
answers in four key areas:
* what kind of service do we need to staff?
* what kinds of doctors do we need?
* how do we provide for education, training and
career development?
* how do we secure the workforce?
Commenting on his report today, Professor Sir John
Temple said:
"Securing Future Practice clearly spells out the unique
demographic changes facing Scotland and links them to
increasing challenges in health care provision particularly
in relation to population migration centrally, trained
staff migration out of Scotland and the impact of working
times regulations. The Report highlights the opportunity to
guarantee quality health care for Scotland. The time for
further reports is over - we need to act now."
Securing Future Practice gives ten key messages with
29 recommendations. The Scottish Executive has agreed to
all the recommendations of the Report. The
Executive's response is published alongside the
Report.
Commenting today, Malcolm Chisholm said:
"Securing Future Practice is a clear and valuable
analysis of a challenging and relevant problem, clarifying
key priorities and emphasising the need for change if the
health service is to be able to respond effectively to the
pressures being experienced by the medical workforce.
"The report underlines the importance of simplifying the
structure of the medical workforce, of service re-design
and of the crucial role for effective workforce planning
linked to service planning. In the future it is evident
that more medical care will be delivered by trained doctors
and less by doctors in training than is the practice at
present and I welcome that.
"I believe our priority must be to foster an environment
in which all healthcare staff will feel fulfilled: in which
they will all be able to realise their potential. That is
why our Workforce Strategy seeks to sustain and develop the
entire workforce, and to move away from uni-professional
approaches. This will not happen in isolation. At the heart
of Sir John's Report is a commitment to deliver the best
care to patients and a recognition that the public are
important partners in taking forward reform of services and
I warmly endorse this message too."