Evaluating the impacts of time-reduction legislation on junior doctor training and service

摘要

If junior doctors are to work significantly fewer hours in the future, how can they still receive full training and continue to provide necessary levels of medical service to patients? Historically, excessive hours have been a way of the life for junior doctors worldwide, but New Deal regulations, a revised junior doctor contract, and the EU Working Time Directive are changing this. A project at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth is researching the nature of 'quality and effective training', and constructing SD models to yield insights and eventually support operational decision-making. This has already yielded significant insights for those at Derriford wrestling with this seemingly impossible task, including, the circularity between junior doctor training, consultants' service and their training-supervision role, and the quality of training provided, and the likely importance of recruiting outside the progression process in addressing service imbalances. It also highlights some of the special challenges in projects where there are many stakeholders, political agendas, and a continuously changing environment.