Quality criteria were first developed by the JRCPTB for Core Medical Training (CMT) in 2015 and subsequently for General Internal Medicine (GIM) training in 2018. The purpose of the criteria is to enhance the quality of training by highlighting changes that will improve educational experience, teamworking and patient safety, while reinforcing existing quality approaches.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 created significant disruption to training, affecting resident doctors and supervisors alike. The revised IMT quality criteria reflect the reality of this new environment, as well as encourage the return of training quality to pre-pandemic levels, where possible.
Following wide consultation with resident doctors, training organisations and supervisors, the new criteria have been grouped into three key domains:
- Ensuring safe and effective care
- Creating a supportive environment
- Improving educational experience.
Of the new criteria, Dr Mike Jones, Executive Medical Director, Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK said "Having worked on the previous Core Medical Training and General Internal Medicine quality criteria, I am delighted to finally launch the Internal Medicine Training quality criteria after a long hiatus enforced by the pandemic, whilst the service and training environment recovered. We have noted the impact the pandemic has had on the ability of trainers to provide support and will endeavour to do what we can as a Federation to better support both supervisors and resident doctors going forward in their important roles."
Dr David Marshall, Medical Director for Training and Development added, "I fully understand the pressures and difficulties that both trainers and resident doctors are facing at the moment. Despite increasing service demands and uncertainty we still need to ensure we provide high quality training to those doctors who are going to lead service provision in future, and also do more to support those who are providing their training, amidst all the pressures. The quality criteria provide a focus on IMT, which is where much of the learning about general internal medicine begins, and is an essential part of hospital provision. I look forward to working with all the stakeholders who helped create them so we can achieve this vision."
Derek Thomas, Head of Medical Workforce, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay said "I'm delighted to launch the quality criteria to help drive up the quality of training experience in IMT. As Chair of the Oversight Group, I am appreciative of the wide range of stakeholders that contributed to their development. Now they are launched we are keen to focus on their implementation and look forward to continuing to engage with all relevant parties to make that happen. "
Download the Quality Criteria for Internal Medicine Training here.