Supporting and Understanding Doctors in Training Who Leave a Training Programme: An Updated and Improved Process
Until now, there has been no formal opportunity for doctors leaving a training programme to provide feedback to NES about their experience and reasons for leaving. Recent feedback gathered from a small cohort of doctors on training contracts who resigned described a varied experience with respect to support and information, highlighting the need for a more standardised approach to the leavers’ process, ensuring that we learn from those who leave training and offer appropriate support and careers guidance.
We understand that there are a wide range of reasons that doctors may not complete their training programme. We acknowledge that for most, this decision will not be undertaken lightly, and may be associated with challenging circumstances. We want to ensure we offer appropriate wellbeing and careers support to doctors in training during their leaving experience. We hope that our new leavers process, starting June 2024, will provide an opportunity to help us understand what factors lead doctors to leave a training programme and allow us to consider ways to improve the training experience and retention of doctors in training.
What is new to the doctors in training leavers process?
1. Website update
We have updated the website to provide more information and support to doctors in training who are considering leaving, and a link to this can be found here. The new leaving process starting June 2024 is described in detail, and resources are also offered to support and guide both doctors on training contracts and their trainers in the period before a decision has been taken to resign.
2. Streamlined email notification
We have reduced the number of emails a doctor on a training contract will need to send to give notice of resignation – the doctor in training will now only need to send a single resignation notification email to both the NES training management team at training.management@nes.scot.nhs.uk, and also to their employing health boards’ HR department. NES training management team will then cascade the information to the doctor’s training team, including their Training Programme Director, Associate Postgraduate Dean and Lead Dean Director/Postgraduate Dean on behalf of the doctor to reduce the administrative burden.
3. Leaver’s questionnaire and supportive Trainee Development and Wellbeing Service (TDWS) meeting
As part of the resignation process, NES would like to understand the reasons behind decisions to leave and ensure that leavers are offered comprehensive support and guidance where appropriate. With that in mind, we have developed an online leaver’s questionnaire to be sent to all doctors on training contracts who leave training, to gather initial information and feedback. Leavers will also be offered the opportunity of a 1:1 meeting with a senior member of the TDWS team to ensure the doctor has appropriate support in place. Themes around reasons for leaving will be collected confidentially to ensure NES can improve training and support for doctors on training contracts.
4. How we plan to use this feedback
Responses to the online questionnaire and themes covered within the TDWS leavers' meetings will be treated in confidence. However, where necessary and with consent where possible, appropriate action may be taken in response to any issues raised. The exception to this would be in the case of a significant patient safety concern, in which case we may need to break this confidentiality to seek further guidance. To encourage learning and response to feedback, anonymous collated themes will be shared at organisational level and regularly reviewed to help us identify any specific interventions or improvements we might wish to consider in future.
Further support available
The Trainee Development and Wellbeing Service (TDWS) offers a range of independent advice and guidance, including careers advice, health, and wellbeing support.
