In this RCP next generation campaign blog, Dr Claire Froneman and Dr Emma Moore share how they developed a respiratory bootcamp at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, offering structured medical training that builds confidence and improves patient safety. The project was highly commended in the RCP’s virtual poster competition 2025.
Respiratory medicine is one of the most demanding specialties in the hospital environment. High patient acuity, rapid turnover and complex procedures make it a challenging rotation for resident doctors. In fact, respiratory patients accounted for over 868,000 emergency admissions in the UK in 2023/24, the highest of any specialty.
Yet, unlike intensive care, respiratory rotations often begin without structured induction or hands-on training. This gap leaves resident doctors managing critical conditions and procedures with limited preparation, impacting confidence and, potentially, patient safety.
Identifying the problem
When we looked closely, pleural procedures were being performed inconsistently, and many doctors on the acute take lacked supervised training. This led to delays and safety concerns. We knew something had to change, so we set out to create a structured pathway that would improve confidence and ensure access to supervision.
Working with respiratory consultants, specialty registrars and nurse specialists, we designed a respiratory bootcamp: a focused programme covering core knowledge, acute care and procedural skills. The bootcamp combined teaching sessions, simulations and hands-on training for key respiratory emergencies and procedures, including non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and pleural interventions. The practical stations ensured that residents had the time to familiarise themselves with equipment that they might not have seen before and were now expected to be able to manage. To measure impact, we collected confidence data before and after the bootcamp.
What worked well
Engagement was excellent. Confidence improved across all domains. The biggest gains were in advanced procedures and pleural procedures, showing that the bootcamp directly addressed a major confidence gap. Participants valued the practical stations most, reinforcing the importance of hands-on time.
Challenges and lessons learned
The main feedback for improvement was that the sessions felt content-heavy and slightly rushed. With only 3 hours scheduled, depth and pacing were limited. Ideally, the bootcamp would run as a full-day programme, but NHS constraints make this difficult. For instance, arranging cover for the ward while resident doctors were in training was difficult, and it meant that there was a high workload for them afterwards. If we could do it again, we’d streamline administration earlier, simplify questionnaires and include more practical stations, especially for NIV and pleural management.
Our advice to others? Give yourself time to run a project. The bootcamp grew quickly through each rotation and was only possible because we had more time to dedicate at our trust. Because of this, we were able to fine-tune the content to provide a great programme.
Our team was open to conversation and easy to reach out to. We provided each other with support when needed, and everyone in the team felt equal in importance and contribution.
Finally, involve the multidisciplinary team – their input definitely enriches the quality of the project.
Looking ahead
We plan to make the bootcamp a recurring, standardised induction for every respiratory rotation, supported by regular audits to maintain quality. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every doctor rotating into respiratory medicine receives structured, specialty-specific training to improve safety, reduce variability and support better patient outcomes.
If resources were unlimited, we’d increase staffing by 50% during the first 3 days of a new rotation and standardise structured induction across the NHS for all high-acuity specialties. This would transform training, reduce risk and deliver safer care for patients.
Resident doctors should feel welcomed and secure in new roles. Small changes to improve their overall experience of working in the health service can make all the difference, such as clear rotas in advance of rotations, organised parking arrangements and IT logins provided ahead of time.
Our respiratory bootcamp has shown that targeted, practical training can close confidence gaps and improve clinical preparedness. With continued support and expansion, this initiative could set a new standard for specialty induction across the NHS.
Interested in this? You might like…
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- Acting up with confidence: how we’re preparing IMT doctors for the registrar role
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- Download the RCP next gen top 10 priorities for reform of medical training
Before you go…
Dr Claire Froneman
ST4 at Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Kent
Dr Emma Moore
IMT1
