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Summary
The UK paediatrician career structure cannot accommodate current registrar numbers, indicating a need for better tracking and support, especially for women. This impacts future medical workforce planning.
Area of Science:
- Medical Workforce Planning
- Paediatrician Career Progression
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Paediatric manpower investigations are crucial for understanding medical workforce dynamics.
- Previous studies have examined registrar and senior registrar career paths.
- Understanding loss factors is key to accurate workforce modeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the paediatrician career structure in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- To identify limitations in the current training pyramid for paediatric registrars.
- To propose improvements for registrar registration and career support.
Main Methods:
- Two distinct investigations were conducted: a longitudinal study of registrars' career progression and a cross-sectional analysis of the paediatric establishment.
- Loss factors (emigration, retirement, specialty transfer) were quantified.
- A model of the paediatric career structure was developed using data from both surveys.
Main Results:
- The current paediatrician career pyramid is insufficient to absorb the number of registrars in training.
- Significant loss factors affect registrar progression.
- A substantial proportion of women in paediatrics face challenges balancing career and family.
Conclusions:
- Urgent implementation of a comprehensive registrar registration scheme is needed, including those with honorary contracts.
- The current structure poses a significant barrier to paediatrician career progression.
- Addressing gender-specific challenges is essential for retaining women in paediatrics.