The impact of the Working Time Regulations on medical education and training : Literature review. Report for the General Medical Council

Abstract

This report presents the findings of primary research that aimed to evaluate the possible effects of the Working Time Regulations (1998; the WTR) on postgraduate medical education and training across the UK. It follows a literature review conducted as part of the same tender, delivered in January 2012. Conclusion The Temple Review urged that medical education and training make ‘every moment count’, meaning that medical education should be embedded in medical practice, and that service delivery should be aware of its educational component. This is not yet the case for many trainees, and there is an increasing separation between work and education that may be adding new stressors to the trainee population. Moves to further implement the recommendations of the Temple Review (a consultant-delivered service, concerted faculty development, and greater integration of education into service) should address some of the concerns arising from this research. If working time is to be considered as a component of educational governance and quality improvement, monitoring processes need to be reviewed, and their acceptance and trust by organisations and trainees ensured, to guarantee that any links between working time and education are reliably identified. The GMC has power as the regulator of medical education, and may be able to redress the balance of education and service through its role in quality assurance. Education and training should be placed at the heart of service delivery. Education is not seen as at the expense of patient care, but as a means of maintaining it.