Counting the cost of surgical training: perspective from a school of surgery

It has long been acknowledged that hospital doctors train their juniors with only limited extra time or support and little formal training for their role. The introduction of job planning was intended to recognise formally the additional time needed for this and other activities and the new Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) standards for trainers are intended to address the need for faculty development. If these Standards for trainers are to be achieved, regulators may need to provide clearer guidance to trusts about the time required in job plans to deliver the expected standard of educational and clinical supervision and other deanery and royal college educational roles.