The Royal College of Physicians is in broad agreement with the recommendations made in this, the first, Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) report on the future of specialty training. Given the short timescale CfWI has had to gather the data and the clear acceptance of the limitations of this data in the report, it is nontheless a big step in the right direction for medical workforce planning in England. In particular it supports the key recommendations made by Sir John Temple in his report on the effects of the European Working Time Directive on medical training in this country.
The CfWI recommendations for maintaining trainee numbers in the medical specialties will help the development of consultant delivered care which can only be a good thing for patient care. Furthermore the CfWI has taken a very considered view of the skewed distribution of trainees in some parts of the country by using 'weighted capitation'. This imbalance of both trainees and consultants currently has a large adverse affect on patient services. Correction of these imbalances is crucial to providing a fair health service for all.
Our chief concern is that the recommendations made by this report will not be matched by sufficient funding, either by hospital trusts in employing newly trained doctors or by deaneries who fund the training places. Without this financial support, the opportunities these recommendations give the NHS will be lost and patient care will suffer as a result.