Regulator clears trust to bring back junior doctors

Up to 10 junior doctor posts will be reinstated at a small district general hospital after regulators agreed it had improved its learning environment.

In 2021, Health Education England removed 10 doctors from Weston Hospital over concerns they were being left without adequate supervision on understaffed wards. 

The unusual move prompted University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Foundation Trust to launch a “quality improvement approach” to improve its learner and clinical supervision environment.

The regulator said the trust had made significant improvements that included:

• Better staff engagement with the trust leadership at all levels.
• Better clinical supervision, particularly around shift handovers and senior oversight of clinical decisions.
• Better learner experience in new training settings in rheumatology and intensive care medicine.

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Source: HSJ, 10 May 2023