Responding to the publication of the General Medical Council's report 'The state of medical education and practice in the UK: 2017', Professor Derek Bell, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:
“The GMC report highlights a number of issues that we know are causing strain on our NHS workforce across the UK. The warning signs that the report highlights are not new, but must be addressed as a matter of urgency and we support the GMC’s recommendations in this area.
“Further investment is required in the NHS – not just financially but in the culture and systems that our workforce operate within. We must ensure that the workforce feels valued so we are able to recruit and retain the workforce for the future with the capacity to meet the demands placed upon it.
“We also need make the UK an attractive a place as possible to train and remain in a career in medicine – for both doctors trained in the UK and those coming from overseas. We support the GMC’s call for the Medical Training Initiative to be expanded. Doctors and other healthcare professionals from around Europe and overseas have long made a significant contribution to our NHS and to the delivery of safe patient care. This is not only welcome but is part of the continuous exchange of knowledge in healthcare and should be strongly encouraged.“We reiterate our call for a more whole-system view of the NHS to be taken in order to address the current challenges it faces while enabling it to become more sustainable for the future. By rethinking our approach to focus on long-term and sustainable solutions, we can achieve a world-class workforce delivering the best possible patient care safely.”
