Dear Colleague,
We are writing to let you know that the RCPE is here to support you during what is a difficult time for us all following the decision to impose contract changes on doctors in training in England. The proposed changes add to the current sense of the profession being devalued at all levels, from medical students to established Consultants.
Our focus, as always, is on delivering the best possible care to patients and we are heartened by the significant level of public support that has been demonstrated towards our profession in recent times. However, we know that the proposed changes will undermine our ability to deliver quality patient care.
The RCPE feels it is crucial that our members are supported and we are keen to hear your views and concerns. We are extremely concerned at the breakdown in negotiations, the impact on morale and the potential consequences in terms of recruitment and retention of staff and quality of patient care.
We must look after ourselves and each other. Support networks are available if anyone feels overwhelmed. The College is available to provide support and advice wherever we can. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like advice or would like to discuss your concerns. Please use the following email addresses and someone will get back to you directly as soon as possible: trainees@rcpe.ac.uk or RAC@rcpe.ac.uk (Recently Appointed Consultants Committee) or SAS@rcpe.ac.uk (Staff and Associate Specialists Sub Committee). You can also meet with your clinical or educational supervisor, or your personal tutor at university.
The potential impacts of imposing a new contract are wide ranging but, importantly, do little to address the growing recruitment and retention challenges we face and may adversely impact on patient care, especially at weekends. The voice of the trainees is clear and your Trainees and Members’ Committee will continue to represent your views at the highest level. The RCPE and the Academy Trainees Doctors Group (ATDG) wrote to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, to set out the concerns of trainees. All the correspondence is available on our website here.
Medical students who will graduate next year are increasingly anxious about the implications of the proposed contract changes for them. For trainees preparing for exams, job applications, interviews and presentations this is creating additional stress. For those planning to be - or currently - out of programme, those training less than full time or those on parental leave, there is significant uncertainty, and Consultants and SAS doctors are under pressure struggling to deliver a service with rota gaps and the prospect of a worsening recruitment and retention crisis.
We will continue to work hard with our partner Colleges and other organisations so that a safe and fair agreement is reached in the best interests of our patients and our trainees, ensuring they are valued for their vital role in continuing to deliver the best possible care to patients. Trainees are the future of our specialty.
Please do get in touch with us if we can assist in any way.
Best wishes,
Derek, Rosemary, Karen & Catherine
Prof Derek Bell, RCPE President
Dr Rosemary Hollick, Chair of the Trainees and Members’ Committee
Dr Karen Adamson, Co-Chair of the Recently Appointed Consultants (RAC) Committee
Dr Catherine Labinjoh, Co-Chair of the Recently Appointed Consultants (RAC) Committee
