Scottish response to GMC report

Scottish response to GMC report

The widespread impact of Coronavirus on medical education in Scotland has been highlighted in this year’s annual survey of trainers and trainees.

The GMC’s The state of medical education and practice in the UK 2020 report details the disruption to training across the UK and underlines the ongoing challenges for each of the four nations.

NHS Education for Scotland Medical Director Professor Rowan Parks said:

“We are in the middle of a period of unprecedented demand on the NHS. Maintaining clinical services while protecting trainees and sustaining effective training has been hugely difficult so far. However, compared to last year, a greater proportion of doctors reported being able to cope with their workload, and we have seen evidence of better teamwork and knowledge-sharing.

“Nevertheless, we need to continue listening to and investing in the next generation of Scotland’s doctors. Together with our partners, we are working hard to mitigate the impact on education and training as much as possible, and we will continue to support strong clinical supervision.

“A particularly important theme this year has been the difference in experience between BME and white doctors. BME colleagues were less likely to report positive experiences through the pandemic. Through the Scotland Deanery, we have held webinars to listen to our BME trainees and we have also set up BME staff and trainee networks during this period. Nevertheless, this is an area which requires continued focus over the next year.”

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