Regional review of psychiatric training

Abstract

Aims and methodTo investigate whether psychiatry training in North Thames met standards set by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and North Thames Deanery. Visits to individual sites to inspect the training programmes and facilities were carried out. A speciality-specific trainee survey (paper questionnaire) was carried out and results from a general trainee satisfaction survey (electronic survey units) are given.ResultsWe visited all 43 sites. The 207 psychiatry trainees completed the speciality-specific questionnaire (response rate 40%) and 2947 trainees completed the general survey (response rate 71%) of which 280 responses were from psychiatry trainees. Trainees in psychiatry expressed greater satisfaction with their training than trainees in other specialities. However, we identified deficiencies in suitability of general practitioner posts, safety issues, electroconvulsive therapy supervision, access to multi-disciplinary training and consultant supervision.Clinical implicationsAlthough trainees in psychiatry were generally satisfied with their training, the educational and safety standards set by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the North Thames Deanery were not always met.