The College has submitted an organisational response to the government’s Medical Training Review call for evidence. This was jointly prepared by the Learning Directorate and Workforce team within the Professional Practice Directorate, informed by provisional data from the recent workforce census, feedback from committees, knowledge gained over time, and specialty responses received for the Medical Training Review.  

Our response highlighted the challenges faced by trainees in postgraduate training, consultants that deliver training and advocated for robust workforce planning to actively align the number and distribution of training posts with local and regional need, particularly in smaller specialties to avoid crisis situations. 

Key priority areas the response called for

• Local input must be embedded within the national recruitment process to assist with identifying service pressures, and with the process of distribution of trainees into local regions where they are most needed. 
• Bespoke solutions are needed for different specialities and regions to ensure trainees are attracted and recruited into pathology. 
• Strategies must be in place that both attract and retain the consultant posts required for the delivery of service and training. 
• Protected time for consultants to enable them to have sufficient capacity to provide high quality postgraduate teaching and support, including protected SPA time.
• Increased availability of consultant positions on completion of CCT, particularly in underserved areas, to secure a stable workforce and enable career progression opportunities.  
• More support for the increased number of Portfolio Pathway applicants. 
• Improved infrastructure, particularly IT, is critical to enable trainees to access a high-quality learning environment. 
• Acknowledgement of the additional challenges for small pathology specialties and using those as a wider warning for avoiding similar situations for larger pathology specialties.

The outcome of the Medical Training Review is due to be published later this year and will take into account the government’s 10-year plan and NHS Long Term Workforce Plan in England. Our response recognised that although this is an England-only consultation, it is important to consider the UK perspective given trainees will move across borders. 

In addition to the RCPath organisational response, separate responses were submitted by the Cellular Pathology CSTC, the Medical Microbiology & Virology CSTC. Members of the Chemical Pathology CSTC and representatives on the Trainee Advisory Committee submitted individual responses on behalf of their pathology specialties.