Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the length of placements for resident doctors; and what assessment they have made of the benefits of continuity in training posts for doctors.

The Government recognises the importance of continuity in postgraduate medical training for both doctors and patients.

Following the 2024 Resident Doctors Agreement, the Department, working in partnership with NHS England and the British Medical Association, established a review of rotational training. This review drew on some 13,000 responses to surveys and found that rotations can provide valuable breadth of experience, but in some cases frequent moves can disrupt learning, wellbeing, team integration, and patient care.

NHS England is developing pilots under the Medical Training Review, and as set out in the 10-Point Plan, to test longer placements, smaller geographic footprints, and more flexible arrangements for less-than-full-time trainees.

These pilots will inform future policy decisions on placement length and continuity benefits.