Nearly 700 anaesthetists have training interrupted after cuts

Staff: our most valuable asset

“…In addition, the future growth of the anaesthetic workforce, designed to meet not only current demands but those yet to come, has been undermined. Rather than increased recruitment to specialty trainee anaesthesia (ST3) posts, just 359 positions were available to 1056 applicants, leaving nearly 700 trainees with no training number [16]. For a cohort of doctors which was integral to the delivery of the UK COVID‐19 pandemic response, the impact of this skills gap is likely to resonate for many years to come.…”

Are we creating another ‘lost tribe’ of anaesthetic trainees?

“…On top of these problems, the August 2021 Specialist Trainee (ST3) recruitment into specialised anaesthesia training has caused disappointment for a large cohort of anaesthetic trainees. There was twice the usual number of applicants, with 1056 applying for just 359 ST3 posts to commence in August 2021 [4, 5]. The unprecedented large number of applications this year was due to the coming together of a perfect storm of circumstances: the introduction of the new training curriculum; disruption to examinations due to the pandemic; and the reduction in opportunities to work abroad being the most important.…”

Anaesthetist training: UK “must double numbers” to combat NHS waiting lists

“…In May 2021, 700 trainee anaesthetists were left without a suitable training place 2. This is thought to be a result of changes to the curriculum, fewer trainees working abroad because of the pandemic, and a desire among some trainees to complete their training without interruption after the pressures of the pandemic, the association said.…”