‘Developing more innovative approaches is vital to enhancing the wellbeing and productivity of NHS staff across Scotland,’ insists a formal health service partner following publication of a new survey

InnoScot Health notes that the report by regulator the General Medical Council (GMC) highlights responses from over 71,000 UK doctors in training and their trainers about workplace experiences.

While the proportion of trainees at high-risk of ‘burnout’ across the UK has decreased for a second year, and over 4,400 of the respondents working in NHS Scotland reported the lowest risk among its doctors in training (16%), InnoScot Health believes solutions must still be identified to help mitigate this for a better, more effective health service.

Its Executive Chair Graham Watson said: “There are many positives to be taken from this national survey, including trainees rating their training highly — though as part of a pressured system, it is perhaps no surprise that they have also reported challenges in the infancy of their career.

“Wellbeing has been clearly highlighted, and while the figures suggest that high risk cases posed by instances of unsustainable workloads and other issues is comparatively low for Scotland, it must still be monitored closely and actioned — not only for the benefit of trainees, but also for the patients in their care.

“We believe that resident doctors’ fresh perceptions of NHS Scotland processes can be a vital tool in helping to solve systemic issues, and with the right support, they can be inspired and empowered to take a leading role in spearheading positive, innovation-led change, in turn promoting better wellbeing.”

The report states that analysis of the survey findings can facilitate the identification of “trends in postgraduate education and specialties, showcasing excellence and innovation”.

The NHS Scotland Academy Skills and Simulation Centre was formally launched last year at Clydebank’s Golden Jubilee University National Hospital by Health Secretary Neil Gray, including state-of-the-art training and education facilities.

Mr Gray said the centre would harness the latest technology, and he considered it “exciting” to see how its innovations would be used to accelerate training skills.

Graham continued: “The Skills and Simulation Centre has undoubtedly represented an important step forward, but we need more.

“We must protect time for education in innovating — that is a key move in sowing the seeds of a more self-sustaining future for NHS Scotland.

“We have an enthusiastic, forward-thinking new generation of clinicians with fresh ideas and a limitless, digital-first mindset. That is a huge asset which can be channelled into an efficient, progressive NHS, enabling better quality care and outcomes for every patient as well as better use of staff time.

“In such an environment, innovation becomes essential and every day — the lifeblood of long-term transformation — where NHS Scotland can tap into the benefits of more diverse backgrounds which can in turn offer rich new insights

“Bolstering the workforce with a fresh intake of enthusiastic staff is important of course, but resident doctors must also be given the right tools to continue to inform the direction of transformational travel.”

InnoScot Health is proud to be part of a collaborative group of organisations supporting Scottish innovators taking part in the NHS Clinical Entrepreneurs Programme (CEP) which is open to resident and early career doctors.