Professor Dame Jane Dacre has been appointed by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to lead implementation of the Medical Education and Training Review and to update the UK’s postgraduate medical training system.
Phase 1 of the review, published last year, collected more than 8,000 responses and produced a diagnostic report with 11 recommendations focused on four priorities:
– More flexible training
– Removing the divide between service and training
– Ending damaging recruitment bottlenecks
– Rebuilding teams so doctors feel valued
Dame Jane will head the implementation team and work with doctors, the General Medical Council, the Medical Schools Council, royal colleges and other organisations to turn the phase‑one findings into practical change. The programme will also ensure the voices of other clinical professions, patients and managers are included in designing reforms.
Dame Jane said the current postgraduate system, created in 2003, has not kept pace with modern technology and working patterns. The aim, she said, is to deliver radical, professionally led change so the next generation of doctors train where patients need them, feel supported and valued, and flourish professionally. She emphasised this stage is about implementation rather than further diagnosis.
The four‑nation implementation is sponsored by Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Social Care, and Professor Meghana Pandit, National Medical Director at NHS England. Professor Pandit said Dame Jane’s leadership will help move the programme forward quickly and create a training regime fit for the mid‑21st century. Professor Whitty noted that phase 1 identified many areas for improvement and that Dame Jane’s experience makes her well placed to guide the work as independent chair.
Further details on the Medical Education and Training Review are available on the NHS England website.