RCoA welcomes and acknowledges Anaesthetists in Training feedback

The Royal College of Anaesthetists welcomes this high-quality survey and acknowledges that the authors have produced a timely and sobering representative snapshot of the opinions and experiences of our anaesthetists at this stage in their training.

The pandemic has had an enormous impact, particularly on this group of anaesthetists, and we must do our best to ensure they are treated fairly. 

It is clear from the survey that our communications in the last few months have fallen short of what our anaesthetists in training expect and deserve. We have already made significant changes, and we are continuing to urgently review the way we communicate important information, especially to those anaesthetists who are not in official training posts, but who still aim to pursue a career in anaesthesia and gain entry to the specialist register.

We believe anaesthesia is one of the most fulfilling medical specialties and we will continue to support all who wish to make it their career. We are very aware that secure employment contributes significantly to wellbeing, and we commit ourselves to improving our support for anaesthetists in training, both now and throughout their careers.

Dr Fiona Donald, RCoA President-elect

Dr Jamie Strachan, Chair of the Anaesthetists in Training Committee

Dr Helgi Johannsson, Chair of the Communications and External Affairs Board