dangers of reducing the standards for entry to training in The trialling of a process in which been a fruitful source of response to recruitment difficulties. candidates who score above a certain GP trainees. level at Stage Two recruitment will not Of course general practice is not the only specialty with be required to sit Stage Three. recruitment problems. Young doctors’ career choices are Geographical preference increasingly taking them out of the UK workforce for a time, Allowing applicants to preference at a out of training into non-training grade posts or even out of more detailed geographical level medicine altogether. As the UKFPO’s 2015 report notes, during Round 1, e.g. Coventry and only 52.0% of completing F2s said they were going to Warwickshire or Birmingham rather progress directly into specialty training in the UK. This than the West Midlands, giving the compares to 58.5% in 2014, 64.4% in 2013, 67.0% in 2012 applicant a more informed choice, and and 71.3% in 2011. meaning that s/he is more likely to accept a post. But at all stages of training the figures look particularly Transferable score bleak for general practice. The applicant at recruitment will now be a UK rank rather than specific Of the F2s who finished training in 2014, only 20.8% to the LETB/Deanery where the were appointed to GP specialty training; applicant participated in the selection process. This will allow applicants to The GMC’s 2015 report on the state of medical training preference locations in adjoining shows very starkly that the numbers entering the LETB/Deaneries with fewer entering Specialist Register far exceed those entering the GP clearing. register; Accreditation of transferable competencies As the table below shows, while the number of training Two further specialties, ACCS and vacancies continues to rise, the number of applicants Emergency Medicine, have been continues to fall with all four countries of the UK added to the list of ATC specialties. experiencing recruitment difficulties for the August 2016 The list of approved specialties may be intake, including Northern Ireland where recruitment extended. has, historically, been buoyant. Deferment In England, Scotland and Wales, from 2016, applicants will be able to defer entry to training, for non-statutory Figure 1: GP training Application and Advertised reasons for a maximum of one year. Vacancies 2009 2016 – Foundation Competency
dangers of reducing the standards for entry to training in response to recruitment difficulties. Of course general practice is not the only specialty with recruitment problems. Young doctors’ career choices are increasingly taking them out of the UK workforce for a time, out of training into non-training grade posts or even out of medicine altogether. As the UKFPO’s 2015 report notes, only 52.0% of completing F2s said they were going to progress directly into specialty training in the UK. This compares to 58.5% in 2014, 64.4% in 2013, 67.0% in 2012 and 71.3% in 2011. But at all stages of training the figures look particularly bleak for general practice. Of the F2s who finished training in 2014, only 20.8% were appointed to GP specialty training; The GMC’s 2015 report on the state of medical training shows very starkly that the numbers entering the Specialist Register far exceed those entering the GP register; As the table below shows, while the number of training vacancies continues to rise, the number of applicants continues to fall with all four countries of the UK experiencing recruitment difficulties for the August 2016 intake, including Northern Ireland where recruitment has, historically, been buoyant. Figure 1: GP training Application and Advertised Vacancies 2009 – 2016 The trialling of a process in which candidates who score above a certain level at Stage Two recruitment will not be required to sit Stage Three. Geographical preference Allowing applicants to preference at a more detailed geographical level during Round 1, e.g. Coventry and Warwickshire or Birmingham rather than the West Midlands, giving the applicant a more informed choice, and meaning that s/he is more likely to accept a post. Transferable score The applicant at recruitment will now be a UK rank rather than specific to the LETB/Deanery where the applicant participated in the selection process. This will allow applicants to preference locations in adjoining LETB/Deaneries with fewer entering clearing. Accreditation of transferable competencies Two further specialties, ACCS and Emergency Medicine, have been added to the list of ATC specialties. The list of approved specialties may be extended. Deferment In England, Scotland and Wales, from 2016, applicants will be able to defer entry to training, for non-statutory reasons for a maximum of one year. Foundation Competency been a fruitful source of GP trainees.