Doctors want a 30% pay rise!

foxie48

1500 new training places were created in 2018 with five completely new med schools. Unfortunately, there were insufficient training places this year and over 700 graduates were without an F1 training post. It's not just about having more students it's also about having the capacity to support their on-going training and this relies on clinical placements with suitably qualified doctors to supervise and train and that is difficult to expand when there is already a shortage of doctors.

Which is exactly why strategic forward planning is needed.

Not disagreeing with you Growstuff but difficult to do when there is a shortage of doctors. tbh I can't see things getting much better, there are huge shortages in psychiatry, General practice and Paeds with further shortages down the line because of the age profile of consultants in some specialisms. The NHS is in a bit of a mess really.

Our public services are all in a bit if a mess after years of austerity, underfunding and being treated like parasites by our governments

foxie48

Not disagreeing with you Growstuff but difficult to do when there is a shortage of doctors. tbh I can't see things getting much better, there are huge shortages in psychiatry, General practice and Paeds with further shortages down the line because of the age profile of consultants in some specialisms. The NHS is in a bit of a mess really.

The Nuffield Trust (I think) wrote a report about the shortage of training places. I linked to it before somewhere, but I can't find it now. I don't think anybody is claiming there's any easy, quick fix solution, but it's a problem which can't be ignored. There has to be a commitment to planning and finance. It's not a new problem and the Conservatives have been in government for 12 years.

PS. And the age profile of the population.

Very good posts foxie. And as growstuff says, the age of the population is a factor.