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Background
Professor Sir John Tooke published his report on Modernising Medical Careers ( MMC) "Aspiring to Excellence" on 8 January 2008. This report suggested a reworking of many aspects of postgraduate medical education ( PGME) and contained detailed recommendations (full details available at www.mmcinquiry.org.uk).
Modernising Medical Careers ( MMC) is the UK-wide long-term programme of action to transform the medical workforce through redesign of postgraduate medical education ( PGME). The main objective ultimately is to improve patient experience by improving PGME and thus ensuring that those completing postgraduate programmes are better prepared to work as trained doctors in the modern NHS. The MMC approach is competency based and programmatic.
In Scotland, the Scottish Government recognise that some of the recommendations made by Sir John will need further discussion on a UK basis. In this respect, in 2008 the Scottish Government issued the consultation paper Aspiring to Excellence- Scottish Government Consultation on Professor Sir John Tooke's Recommendations to consultees and stakeholders as part of the process of taking this discussion forward, as well as making this paper available on the Scottish Government's website. A list of the consultees and stakeholders to whom this paper was distributed can be found in Annex A.
This paper focused on the actions the Scottish Government are taking forward in Scotland. The main sections outline the Scottish Government's views and planned work being taken forward. Each section had a set of questions to which consultees and stakeholders were invited to respond. Respondents were asked to provide their views on:
- whether the governance arrangements within the MMC organisational structure in Scotland are sufficiently robust
- the work that can be done by Scotland at UK level to meet the recommendation made by Sir Tooke to " Redefine and reassert principles underpinning postgraduate medical education" to ensure UK consistency, where appropriate
- suggestions of other work to improve the organisational structure of postgraduate medical education and the career framework in Scotland
- the role of the doctor: whether this needs reviewed; the role taken by doctors in service delivery during training; whether all services need a judgement safe/ unsupervised doctor; and the approach towards defining the role of a trained doctor taken by the Scottish Government
- who should determine medical training numbers in Scotland
- whether Scotland should be trying to align the number of training places with the number of trained doctors required by NHS (National Health Service) Scotland
- whether the remaining roles of the Scottish Advisory Committee on Medical Workforce ( SACMW) could be remitted to NHS Boards
- whether the development of Directors of Medical Education ( DME) and flexibilities around regional arrangements will add value and clarity to responsibilities for postgraduate medical education at service level
- the proposed role for NHS Education for Scotland ( NES)
- the merging of the General Medical Council ( GMC) and the Postgraduate Medical Education Training Board ( PGMET)
- changes to the structure of postgraduate medical training whilst further discussions are ongoing
- the length of general practice training
- the implications of all proposals for equality groups
A total of 19 questions were in included in the consultation paper. A response form was provided to assist consultees in responding to the paper. The following report constitutes an analysis of responses received to Aspiring to Excellence- Scottish Government Consultation on Professor Sir John Tooke's Recommendation.
A copy of the consultation paper is available at the following link: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/01/07144119/0
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