Medical training needs ‘radical change’, new review chair says

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By Erin Dean

Postgraduate medical education needs “radical change” to allow resident doctors to “flourish”, the new chair of a major government review has said.

Professor Dame Jane Dacre has pledged to make “meaningful improvement and reform” following her appointment to lead the UK-wide implementation of the recommendations of the first phase of the Medical Education and Training Review.

The emeritus professor of medical education and former director of the University College London medical school has been appointed the independent chair by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The first phase of the review by chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and the former NHS England national medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, called for urgent reform across postgraduate medical education and training.

It found that training needs to be more flexible and called for bottlenecks across the pathway to be tackled.

More than 8,000 doctors, medical students and patients responded to the consultation for the report which concluded “fundamental” change was needed.