Features
Caroline Bagley is an ST8 Orthopaedic Trainee on the NE London UCLH Rotation. She has a specialist interest in Foot and Ankle Surgery. Having successfully worked LTFT for much of her specialist training she has mentored many other trainees considering flexible training.
Breaking down barriers to flexible training in trauma and orthopaedics Caroline HM Bagley, Rob Gregory and Paul Harwood on behalf of the SAC in T&O
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Rob Gregory is a Consultant T&O surgeon who works in Durham. He has a longstanding interest in surgical training, is currently Chair of the SAC for T&O and is a recent Trustee of the BOA.
raining in trauma and orthopaedics must evolve to attract the best trainees from across the diversity spectrum. The traditional route of fulltime training progressing to consultant practice does not suit everyone. As Neil Mortensen said, “We have to have a profession where it’s acceptable to work part time, flexibly. It must be acceptable to have some time in and out of the profession as your personal circumstances require. It’s a matter of self-preservation.”1
Paul Harwood is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in trauma and limb reconstruction at the Major Trauma Centre in Leeds. He has a particular interest in medical education and is the Deputy Training Program Director and the Joint Head of Year 3 MB ChB undergraduate program at Leeds University Medical School. He is a member of the Trauma and Orthopaedic SAC, including a responsibility for LTFT trainees.
The option to work less than full time (LTFT) opens the door to a more diverse workforce. A doctor who trains LTFT works reduced hours, calculated as a percentage of full-time training, with resultant pro-rata extension of their total training time to meet CCT requirements. It has been reported that LTFT foundation trainees are less likely to be appointed to Core Surgical Training (CST), that female CSTs are more likely to have adverse outcomes at ARCP, especially if LTFT and LTFT CSTs are more likely to fail the MRCS. At present only 4% of orthopaedic trainees work LTFT but demand is increasing. Since 2021, the JCST made LTFT training available to all trainees for Figure 1: Reasons trainees have not gone on to LTFT training. personal choice.
28 | JTO | Volume 10 | Issue 02 | June 2022 | boa.ac.uk
Our survey examines attitudes and potential barriers to flexible orthopaedic training.
A survey of UK trainees A voluntary, confidential, online survey was distributed to all orthopaedic trainees in the UK via BOTA and the TPD’s forum. The survey was designed to understand the experiences of trainees who had or were presently working LTFT, the attitudes towards LTFT training and its impact on others, and any perceived barriers to LTFT training. >>
