The Future Doctor Programme: A co-created vision for the future clinical team (Health Education England)

Summary

Over the last four years, Health Education England (HEE) has led a collaborative effort, on behalf of patients, the profession and the NHS, to co-create reforms across medical education and training.

HEE launched the Future Doctor Programme last year, linked to work on the NHS People Plan, to inform and galvanise change in medical education and training to achieve the vision for future healthcare as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

The Future Doctor Programme provides a clear view of what the NHS, patients and the public require from future doctors within a transformed multi-professional team. This co-created vision for the future has also identified much of what is required to respond to the projected demands and needs of the workforce in the future.

Content

The following key emergent themes of the Future Doctor Programme will help to prioritise the next stage of medical education reform:

1. Patient-Doctor Partnership Doctors in the future clinical team have the patient firmly front and centre to promote supported shared-decision making and enable patients to make the best use of available care and support.
2. The Extensivist and Generalist Future Doctors will have confidence in a greater breadth of practice across disciplines and specialties due to a strong base of generalist skills, which will enable them to deliver complex, comprehensive care managing co-morbidities in changing healthcare environments.
3. Leadership, Followership and Team Working Future Doctors will demonstrate compassionate and collaborative leadership and effective teamworking.
4. The Transformed Multi-professional Team Future Doctors will espouse and promote a culture where each member of the multi-professional team is acknowledged, respected, valued and empowered to accept shared responsibility. Doctors will promote other healthcare roles to patients and the public.
5. Population Health and Sustainable Healthcare Future Doctors will learn, while embedded in their local community, to better understand population needs and use resources optimally to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the whole population. They will embrace a culture of stewardship and a sense of community responsibility.
6. Adoption of Technology Technology will be employed by Future Doctors as an enabler for change in clinical care and in education (e.g. remote supervision and care delivery and AI augmenting clinical decision making).
7. Work-life Balance and Flexibility Throughout a Career Future Doctors will have flexibility in training and working, with access to portfolio careers and lifelong learning opportunities for changing careers.
8. Driving Research and Innovation Every Future Doctor will be a scholar and will support patients to make informed choices around engaging in research. Future clinical academics will be local leaders in co-ordinating local, regional and national research and innovation.