RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel visited Northampton General Hospital last week to hear directly from consultants, resident doctors and senior leaders about the opportunities and challenges facing the medical workforce.
The visit formed part of the RCP's ongoing programme of visits to hospitals across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, giving college officers the opportunity to learn from the experience of RCP members and understand how workforce, training and patient care challenges are being felt locally.
During meetings with senior leaders, the RCP heard about work underway to strengthen medical education, improve psychological safety and foster an inclusive culture. NHS leaders highlighted close working relationships with other organisations, efforts to support resident doctors, and improvements in acute medicine, despite significant organisational change. At the same time, they acknowledged the wider pressures facing the trust, including growing patient demand, discharge delays, financial challenges and ongoing concerns about corridor care.
A recurring theme throughout the day was the trust's commitment to supporting international medical graduates (IMGs) and locally employed doctors. During an open discussion with consultants, attendees described a culture of inclusion and acceptance, noting that colleagues are welcoming, supportive and willing to work collaboratively to solve problems. Consultants also pointed to strong development opportunities for LEDs and a positive attitude to change across the organisation.
‘What stood out from the discussions with consultants was the strength of the culture they described,’ said Mumtaz. ‘People spoke positively about teamwork, inclusion and supporting colleagues to develop, particularly IMGs and locally employed doctors. Those strengths matter enormously at a time when the NHS continues to face significant workforce pressures.’
Consultants also discussed a range of national workforce and training issues, including funding for the supervision of locally employed doctors, the impact of changes to specialty training recruitment, the future balance between specialist and generalist training, and concerns that competency-based approaches can sometimes overlook the value of experiential learning in clinical practice.
Resident doctors discussed a range of issues affecting their training and workplace experiences, including access to procedural training, workforce pressures, rota management and communication. Discussions highlighted the importance of ensuring that decisions are clearly communicated to patient-facing teams, particularly during periods of service change and increasing demand. Doctors also reflected on the need for continued investment in education, supervision and career development, including support for locally employed doctors, and explored how training pathways might best evolve to reflect modern clinical practice.
Reflecting on the discussion, Mumtaz said: ‘The resident doctor session was a valuable opportunity to hear directly about the challenges doctors are experiencing on the ground. While some of these issues mirror pressures being felt across the NHS, I was struck by concerns raised around communication, staffing and the extent to which people felt listened to. Creating environments where staff feel heard and supported is essential for both workforce wellbeing and patient care.’
In a final feedback session with trust leaders, Mumtaz reflected on themes emerging from discussions held throughout the visit, including workforce pressures, communication and training. The conversation provided an opportunity to explore how staff experiences can continue to inform organisational improvement through constructive feedback.
‘College visits are an important part of the RCP's work because they allow us to hear directly from doctors at every stage of their career,’ explained Mumtaz afterwards. ‘Our trip to Northampton General Hospital showed many of the strengths we see across the NHS, particularly around collegiality, inclusion and commitment to education. It also highlighted the very real pressures facing doctors and the importance of ensuring that staff voices are heard when decisions are made. Those conversations will help inform our ongoing work on workforce, training and safe staffing.’
The Northampton visit will contribute to the RCP's wider work on workforce planning, medical training reform, the future of locally employed doctors and updated safe staffing guidance for the medical workforce.
The RCP’s regional networks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland provide members and fellows with access to events, CPD, training and conferences close to home, supported by dedicated regional teams. They offer opportunities to connect with local physicians, stakeholders and RCP representatives, as well as the chance to ensure regional issues are heard at a national level.
