Chief registrars are exceptional and motivated individuals recruited to provide a vital bridge between senior clinical leaders, managers and the wider resident doctor workforce. With a remit that includes service improvement, education and training, engagement and morale, and workforce and sustainability.
As senior resident doctors, they are ideally placed to identify issues on the ‘shop floor’ and engage resident doctors and clinical teams in improvement.
The benefits of recruiting a chief registrar
Chief registrars play a crucial role in leading local improvement. The projects they undertake vary widely due to a large degree of autonomy and flexibility in how the role is shaped and focused locally. Strong themes that have emerged include:
- improving the experience of patients, families and carers
- developing and evaluating new services and improving patient safety
- implementing more efficient systems and processes
- improving resident doctor engagement and morale
- improving recruitment and retention of resident doctors
- mobilising and supporting other resident doctors to engage in QI
- creating better working relationships and smoother interfaces.
Projects have led to significant cost savings for the recruiting organisation. Examples include:
- a weekend discharge project, saving an estimated £175,000
- a waste reduction project looking at reducing usage of high cost / low clinical value test, expected to save approximately £200,000 per year
- a new ambulatory service that saved over 150 bed days with extrapolated savings of £37,500 per year, with no extra cost to the trust.
There is also evidence of:
- increased morale, better rota planning and reduced resident doctor sick leave, leading to reduced locum expenditure
- redesigned pathways, leading to reductions in unnecessary or duplicated tests and patient waiting times
- improved education and training opportunities, leading to greater satisfaction with training, improved resident doctor retention and improved patient safety.
‘The chief registrar programme has been brilliant for my personal development and leadership skills and has enabled me to lead on quality improvement through protected time for non-clinical work and the structured teaching programme provided by the RCP.
The training days have been helpful and being able to learn about QI methodology and discuss projects with peers has been invaluable in running my own QI projects. Overall, I have really enjoyed the chance to get involved in a non-clinical role whilst keeping some clinical time to maintain my skills and would really recommend the programme to anyone considering it.’
Hannah Carden
Chief registrar 2024-25
Costs and funding arrangements
Chief registrars are recruited and employed locally by NHS organisations and enrolled on the RCP development programme.
NHS organisations must therefore be committed to funding the cost of the post; arrangements will differ depending on whether the role is undertaken in programme or as out-of-programme training (OOPT) or experience (OOPE). Ideally, the appropriate training status should be negotiated locally by the recruiting organisation, resident doctor and training programme director.
If the post is undertaken in programme: The usual funding arrangements for the resident doctor’s salary will apply. Backfill may also be required and should be funded by the recruiting NHS organisation.
If the post is undertaken out of programme: The recruiting organisation will be required to commit to funding the full salary for the duration of the post.
Summary of costs for recruiting organisations
In programme:
- Part-funding of salary
- Any backfill required
- RCP development programme
- All travel and accommodation expenses related to the development programme
Out of programme (OOPT or OOPE):
- Full funding of salary for duration of post
- RCP development programme
- All travel and accommodation expenses related to the development programme
Cost of RCP development programme
The RCP Chief Registrar Programme costs £4,219 (VAT exempt) per chief registrar. This is funded by the recruiting organisation as an integral requirement of the chief registrar role.
‘This role has given me many varied opportunities including being involved in a major doctors’ mess renovation and relocation, influencing the early planning stages of a new hospital build and developing a business case to expand the existing continuous improvement team. I have also been able to help improve the working lives of resident doctors through successful initiatives relating to the NHS England 10-point plan.’
Nicola Chavasse
Chief registrar 2024-25
Recruitment process and timelines
The recruitment and appointment of RCP chief registrars is led locally by the recruiting organisation.
A key first step for recruiting organisations is to confirm that funding has been approved and recruitment is going ahead.
Once recruitment has been confirmed, you can apply for a place on the programme following the application form and supporting documents.
If you are not ready to formally apply for the programme, you can register your interest via this form. This will reserve a place on the programme until you are ready.
- January - May 2026: Proceed with recruitment
- February 2026: Applications open
- February - May 2026: Register your interest
- February - July 2026: Complete application forms and send to chiefregistrar@rcp.ac.uk
- March - July 2026: Receive confirmation from RCP that place has been reserved and/or confirmed
- Friday 24 July 2026: Applications close
- July - September 2026: Candidates are onboarded and prepare for programme
- September 2026: Programme starts (see full programme dates)
Guidance on training status
- The chief registrar must be based at a site approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) for training in the candidate’s specialty
- Chief registrars should be ST4+ or equivalent for locally employed doctors
- For NTN posts, the chief registrar year may be undertaken as an in-programme or out-of-programme opportunity dependent upon local workforce requirements and individual training needs
- In programme
- As the chief registrar role fulfils a few curriculum requirements, resident doctors may wish to remain in programme
- Requests must be agreed prospectively with the formal approval of the training programme director (TPD)
- 40–50% of the resident doctor’s time must be protected for chief registrar activities. Resident doctors should continue to satisfy the requirements for the annual review of competence progression (ARCP)
- Out of programme
- Requests for out-of-programme chief registrar posts must be agreed prospectively with the formal approval of the postgraduate dean
- For candidates seeking OOPT, approval from the relevant specialist advisory committee will be required prior to commencing the role
- In programme