The report contains an overall analysis of numbers going into medical specialist training and identifies which medical specialties are at risk of over-supply as well as identifying the geographical balance.
This report is the first of a number of reports looking at the shape and size of the overall workforce needed for the NHS of the future. As one of the first pieces of work carried out by the CfWI in its current form, and within a constricted time span, the underpinning research is necessarily limited, but the report makes recommendations and identifies emerging messages.
NHS Employers has welcomed the final recommendations on medical training numbers for 2011 outlined in the CfWI’s report published today.
Bill McMillan, head of medical pay and workforce at NHS Employers, said: "We support the CfWI’s programme of work to increase understanding of the shape of the future medical workforce and the numbers going into training.
"It is critical that the correct number of doctors are trained in the specialities and geographical areas where they are most needed to avoid the risk of either a shortage or significant over-supply, both of which can be expensive, demoralising for doctors and affect patient care.
"NHS organisations have a central role to play in medical training in the UK and are ultimately answerable to the public and patients for ensuring they have the right people in place with the correct skills, knowledge and commitment. Planning for the next generation of qualified doctors is central to this and today’s report will help inform their decisions."
NHS Employers believes it is also important that employers are able to influence the number and geographical location of trainees to make sure that the balance between training and service is appropriate as doctors progress through their training programmes.
Shifts in the numbers of trainees at each level of training can have a profound impact on service delivery and the costs of that service. This impact may well extend beyond the medical workforce and encompass reconfigurations of service and different ways of delivering services. NHS Employers believes that NHS organisations are best placed to influence these aspects of the discussions and planning.
Together with demand and supply issues there is also a question of cost. We believe that this report will help NHS organisations to plan the number and type of training places for medical specialists.
