RCP members and fellows joined our latest Meet your president event to share their experiences of working in today’s NHS and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the medical profession.
The online discussion provided a valuable opportunity for physicians in the UK and around the world to raise issues directly with RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel and other senior officers. Topics ranged from continuity of care and workforce pressures to training reform, wellbeing and how best to support doctors throughout their careers.
Opening the event, Mumtaz highlighted the RCP’s work on medical training reform, workforce planning, job planning and supporting clinical academic careers, alongside efforts to improve fairness and equity across the NHS workforce. ‘Workforce is very much a key priority area for the college', she confirmed.
One of the strongest themes to emerge from the discussion was the impact of increasingly fragmented services on patients, physicians and the wider health system. Members reflected on how modern hospital care often involves patients being seen by multiple teams and clinicians during a single admission. As one consultant physician put it: ‘NHS care is now completely fragmented'.
Participants described how this can make it harder for doctors to follow patients through their clinical journey, learn from the outcomes of their decisions and develop the clinical judgement that comes from sustained involvement in care. They also raised concerns that service pressures can encourage a focus on immediate operational demands rather than longer-term quality and outcomes.
The discussion explored the wider consequences of fragmentation, including duplication, inefficiencies and the effect on training and professional development. Responding to these concerns, Mumtaz encouraged members to continue sharing evidence, experiences and potential solutions.
This issue was closely linked to wider conversations about workforce planning and training reform, with participants highlighting the relationship between continuity of learning and continuity of care. Members called for greater focus on how healthcare services can deliver consistent, high-quality care while supporting physicians to develop and thrive throughout their careers.
The conversation also touched on diagnostic practice, workforce change and professional standards. One consultant physician highlighted the importance of diagnostic expertise, saying that ‘assessing a patient and reaching the right diagnosis is the defining characteristic of being a physician'.
Members also discussed training capacity, educational supervision and the need for sufficient time to support doctors in training. Participants highlighted pressures on educators and concerns about the lack of protected time for teaching and supervision.
Responding to these concerns, deputy registrar Dr Ben Chadwick underlined the importance of investing in medical education alongside plans to expand training opportunities.
‘We need to advocate for more protected time for education and supervision. Expanding training places is the right thing to do, but it must be matched by the consultant time and capacity needed to train and support the next generation of doctors', he said.
Support for locally employed doctors and international medical graduates was another theme raised during the event. Members discussed access to educational support, supervision and career development opportunities.
The event concluded with a discussion about the future of medical education and training, including opportunities for members to contribute to the ongoing medical education and training review. Participants discussed the need to maintain high standards while creating more flexible routes into and through medical careers.
Encouraging members to engage with the debate, Mumtaz described the current review as a significant opportunity for change: ‘This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of medical training and education in the UK'.
Closing the session, Mumtaz thanked members and fellows for sharing their experiences and highlighted the importance of hearing directly from physicians about the challenges they face and the changes they would like to see. She noted that the themes raised during the discussion would help inform conversations across the college’s various forums and workstreams.
