From your president

Dear Dr Chaudhry

Yesterday, the RCP published Training physicians for the future, our new report setting out a blueprint for reforming postgraduate medical training. Led by resident doctors and informed by extensive engagement with RCP fellows and members, the report outlines the changes needed to ensure the training system can meet the needs of patients, physicians and the NHS in the decades ahead.

Postgraduate medical training is one of the foundations of safe, high-quality patient care. The physicians in training today will become the consultants, educators, researchers and clinical leaders on whom patients and services will depend in the future. Yet we know that training is under significant pressure. Across our engagement with resident doctors, we have consistently heard concerns about service pressures crowding out education, difficulties accessing training opportunities, inconsistent supervision, inflexible pathways and barriers to career progression.

This new report argues that getting training right is not simply an issue for resident doctors. It is about patient safety, workforce and quality of care. If we want a future workforce that can manage increasing complexity, work across healthcare settings, embrace new technologies and provide both generalist and specialist expertise, we must invest in high-quality training today.

Our recommendations focus on several key areas, including:

Importantly, this is a solutions-focused report. The NHS has spent many years identifying the challenges facing medical training. The priority now is delivery. We are calling for clear accountability, robust quality assurance and practical action to ensure improvements are implemented consistently across the UK.

This work has been shaped by the experiences and expertise of RCP fellows and members, particularly resident doctors, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to its development.

The publication of this report is not the end of the conversation. It marks the beginning of a sustained programme of influencing and engagement as we work with governments, educators, employers and partner organisations to secure meaningful reform. We will continue to keep you updated.

Alongside the report, we are publishing a series of brand new next generation blogs. These personal reflections from resident doctors, elected councillors and senior officers explore many of the challenges and opportunities highlighted in the report, including training quality, flexibility, accountability, career progression, specialist expertise and investment in the future NHS workforce.

I encourage you to read the report, explore the accompanying blogs and help us amplify these messages – the success of this work will depend not only on the strength of the evidence, but on the collective voice of the profession. Please help us extend the reach of this work by sharing our social media content and key messages through your own networks and channels:

Good training should not depend on where a doctor works, who supervises them or how effectively they can navigate barriers in the system. Getting training right is an investment not only in doctors, but in the future quality, safety and sustainability of patient care.

Thank you for your continued commitment to patients, to the profession and to the future of physician training.

With best wishes,

Please do not reply to this email. This is an unmonitored address. If you would like to get in touch, please contact the.president@rcp.ac.uk