Monday 8 December 2014

Contact your MP to protest against cuts to medical training........


The Shape of Training is a review of doctor training that is currently being forced through despite many significant safety concerns being expressed by the majority of doctors' professional bodies.  If you want your doctors to be trained properly then it is essential that you take the time to write to your MP to express your opinion on this matter, below is a template letter you may use:



"Dear <INSERT HERE>

I am writing regarding the ‘Shape of Training’ review of doctor training that recently reported and is currently in the process of implementation.  I have grave concerns about several specific recommendations made by the review. 

Firstly the recommendation to shorten the training time of hospital consultants and will create a ‘sub consultant’ grade.  Such a move is incompatible with maintaining high quality patient care and would have a significant negative impact on patient safety.  Secondly moving the point at which doctors register fully with the GMC to medical school graduation is unsafe.  

In addition to these significant concerns surrounding both short and long term harms relating to both doctors and patients, the review has ignored the majority of respondents to its consultation who felt the training of hospital consultants should not be shortened:

most individuals and organisations argued that generalists would require a longer training period or reconstruction of training to capture the breadth of experiences needed to provide competent general care”

As things stand the Shape of Training review’s implementation is incompatible with maintaining high standards in medical education and patient care and as a result I would be very grateful if you could look into what can be done to halt this review's dangerous implementation,


Yours sincerely"

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