Unless their programme runs straight through to being fully qualified, after two or three years, they then pursue a higher training pathway in the area in which they want to specialise.
Welcome to the real world. Most of us don’t get to do the job we wanted and settle for anything that puts a roof over our heads and food on our trays.
Am i thinking this correctly? 😅
-We have doctors wants to be specialist
-We dont have enough budget/spaces for them to be specialist
-We need specialist.
-We pay foreign specialists to fill the gap?
Am I right in thinking that the random allocation system that places trainees anywhere in the country was introduced because of complaints about nepotistic local processes that were in place previously?
Stop giving money to private recruitment agencies to waste on temp staff who are often on foreign student visa , given no training and then blamed rather than the agencies , health managers or politicians.
Give that money to the NHS and HSC internal recruitment.
Private recruitment agencies have ruined employment
Resident doctors should stop bitching about being paid less money for doing less work. The money that would have been used for these roles has already been spent – on those same resident doctors.
Here’s a clear list of the major changes in UK junior doctor working hours and shift patterns from 2005 to 2025:
Key Changes Over 20 Years
1. Weekly Hours Reduced
– 2005: 56–72 hours/week
– 2025: Capped at 48 hours/week (average closer to 40–45)
2. Shift Lengths Shortened
– 2005: Up to 36 hours (on-call)
– 2025: Max 13 hours per shift
3. Rest Between Shifts
– 2005: Often <8 hours
– 2025: Minimum 11 hours (mandatory)
4. Night Shift Limits
– 2005: Up to 7 consecutive nights
– 2025: Max 4 consecutive nights, followed by 46 hours rest
5. Weekend Work
– 2005: Frequently 3 weekends/month
– 2025: Max 1 in 2 weekends
6. Breaks During Shifts
– 2005: Often missed or unpaid
– 2025: Structured breaks (e.g., 30 mins for >5 hrs, 2×30 mins for >9 hrs)
7. Monitoring & Reporting
– 2005: Informal or inconsistent
– 2025: Mandatory monitoring + exception reporting system
8. Educational Time
– 2005: Unstructured, often unpaid
– 2025: Structured and protected (e.g., 12 hrs/week for GP trainees)
9. Legal Framework
– 2005: New Deal (1991) with limited enforcement
– 2025: European Working Time Directive (EWTD) + 2016 Junior Doctor Contract
10. Opt-Out Culture
– 2005: Opt-out common, often pressured
– 2025: Voluntary opt-out discouraged; most doctors stay within limits
6 comments
Resident doctors are going through a “nerve-wracking” time as [competition for specialty training jobs continues to grow,](https://inews.co.uk/news/doctor-next-year-wont-have-job-3636320?srsltid=AfmBOopwwjqqml5Y9RYdSrXxF_JLAZFAZ-f78UAZXDMDr6ul8msSC8ZL&ico=in-line_link) making it harder for them to progress and leaving them in limbo or unemployed.
When UK medical students graduate, they begin two years of foundation training, spending blocks of time in different specialties. They generally then apply for internal medical, core surgical, acute care, [GP](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/nhs-gp-virtual-appointments-work-well-2783870?ico=in-line_link) or other specialist training such as paediatrics or [psychiatry.](https://inews.co.uk/topic/psychiatry?srsltid=AfmBOooddg4zGeUGvadWbrgvow5v046UYMBTMGEqNJzAlOlodSqeFwEM&ico=in-line_link)
Unless their programme runs straight through to being fully qualified, after two or three years, they then pursue a higher training pathway in the area in which they want to specialise.
In 2024, 4.7 applications were made on average for every core and higher specialty training post (59,698 applications for 12,743 roles), but the [latest competition ratios](https://www.specialty-applications.co.uk/competition-ratios/obstetrics-and-gynaecology-st1-competition-ratios/) show that this figure has risen to 7.2, with 91,999 for 12,833 places.
The ratio was more extreme in some specialties than others. In emergency medicine it was 14 to one, while in psychiatry it was 22 to one, in cardiothoracic surgery it was 74 to one and in [sexual health](https://inews.co.uk/news/health/gonorrhoea-sti-antibiotic-resistant-struggle-3759988?srsltid=AfmBOooS_ULC7LL775dMz-IYebHzgpNUgyhnfyP5S_VrphuekKleS6op&ico=in-line_link) it was 98.5 to one.
Welcome to the real world. Most of us don’t get to do the job we wanted and settle for anything that puts a roof over our heads and food on our trays.
Am i thinking this correctly? 😅
-We have doctors wants to be specialist
-We dont have enough budget/spaces for them to be specialist
-We need specialist.
-We pay foreign specialists to fill the gap?
Am I right in thinking that the random allocation system that places trainees anywhere in the country was introduced because of complaints about nepotistic local processes that were in place previously?
Stop giving money to private recruitment agencies to waste on temp staff who are often on foreign student visa , given no training and then blamed rather than the agencies , health managers or politicians.
Give that money to the NHS and HSC internal recruitment.
Private recruitment agencies have ruined employment
Resident doctors should stop bitching about being paid less money for doing less work. The money that would have been used for these roles has already been spent – on those same resident doctors.
Here’s a clear list of the major changes in UK junior doctor working hours and shift patterns from 2005 to 2025:
Key Changes Over 20 Years
1. Weekly Hours Reduced
– 2005: 56–72 hours/week
– 2025: Capped at 48 hours/week (average closer to 40–45)
2. Shift Lengths Shortened
– 2005: Up to 36 hours (on-call)
– 2025: Max 13 hours per shift
3. Rest Between Shifts
– 2005: Often <8 hours
– 2025: Minimum 11 hours (mandatory)
4. Night Shift Limits
– 2005: Up to 7 consecutive nights
– 2025: Max 4 consecutive nights, followed by 46 hours rest
5. Weekend Work
– 2005: Frequently 3 weekends/month
– 2025: Max 1 in 2 weekends
6. Breaks During Shifts
– 2005: Often missed or unpaid
– 2025: Structured breaks (e.g., 30 mins for >5 hrs, 2×30 mins for >9 hrs)
7. Monitoring & Reporting
– 2005: Informal or inconsistent
– 2025: Mandatory monitoring + exception reporting system
8. Educational Time
– 2005: Unstructured, often unpaid
– 2025: Structured and protected (e.g., 12 hrs/week for GP trainees)
9. Legal Framework
– 2005: New Deal (1991) with limited enforcement
– 2025: European Working Time Directive (EWTD) + 2016 Junior Doctor Contract
10. Opt-Out Culture
– 2005: Opt-out common, often pressured
– 2025: Voluntary opt-out discouraged; most doctors stay within limits
Comments are closed.