Securing the future anaesthetic workforce

A suitably skilled workforce that is of an appropriate size is essential for the provision of healthcare services. Anaesthetists play an essential role in a wide range of clinical areas, and effective workforce planning and training are essential in maintaining service provision. Workforce planning requires consideration of a number of different factors related to the workforce itself and services that are required. Long-term predictions must be made, as the process of training a consultant workforce with the flexibility to adapt to changing services takes many years. Anaesthetic training in the UK has changed considerably over the last three decades, as working hours and experience have decreased. Training and assessment have evolved from an apprenticeship model to an active and highly regulated process with a number of stakeholders, although there is little evidence regarding the impact of these changes on clinical outcomes.