Extra support has been announced to help managers support trainee doctors return to work after taking time out.
Health Education England unveiled its commitment to ring fence funding so doctors can access resources to help them return and overcome the knock to their confidence felt by some.
It asked trainees and employers what they thought would help ease the return to study.
The government has given HEE £10m to help retain trainees.
Extra support has been announced to help managers support trainee doctors return to work after taking time out.
Health Education England unveiled its commitment to ring fence funding so doctors can access resources to help them return and overcome the knock to their confidence felt by some.
It asked trainees and employers what they thought would help ease the return to study.
The government has given HEE £10m to help retain trainees.
HEE will also co-ordinate a programme to manage exit, time out and return to training for the 5,000 doctors who take time out annually.
Other commitments include commissioning training and resources to help educational supervisors to offer personal support and running biannual keeping in touch conferences.
HEE said it will also look at creating ‘bespoke’ support to try and encourage the ten per cent of trainees who take time out to resume their training.
The pledges are part of HEE’s Supported Return to Training strategy and to help tackle staff shortages.
It asked doctors and employers about the challenges faced by returning trainees and the kind of support they need.
HEE’s director of education and quality Professor Wendy Reid said: ‘We heard that the current support for trainee returners is inconsistent across England and, in some places, lacking entirely. We were also told that returning to training after time out of practice is a challenging process and that this often erodes trainees’ confidence.’
The HEE report Supported Returning to Work said: 'there is robust evidence indicating that time out of practice can impact on a clinician’s competence and technical skills, as well as their confidence. Targeted support may be required to help doctors get back “up to speed” when they return to training.’
Professor Reid added: ‘The NHS’ lifeblood is its people, and we know if we are to deliver high quality, compassionate care, we must treat our own staff in accordance with these same principles.’
It comes after a General Medical Council survey found training depended on good will and sacrifice by trainers, with nearly a half putting in extra time each week.
NHS Providers said staff shortages made pressures ‘intolerable’ as the health service struggles to cope with a staffing shortfall.
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