NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have appointed Professor Dame Jane Dacre to lead the implementation phase of the Medical Education and Training Review, marking a shift from diagnosis to delivery of reform across postgraduate medical training.
The review identifies that the current medical education and training system, largely unchanged since 2003, is no longer aligned with the needs of a modern NHS workforce. There is widespread agreement across the profession that significant reform is required.
System-wide reform priorities:
The phase 1 diagnostic report, informed by over 8,000 responses, outlines four key priorities:
- More flexible training pathways
- Removing the divide between service and training
- Addressing recruitment bottlenecks
- Rebuilding teams where doctors feel valued
Implementation phase:
The newly established implementation team will work with doctors, regulators, medical schools, royal colleges and system partners to deliver practical improvements, with a focus on ensuring that training better reflects service needs and supports workforce sustainability.
Leadership and accountability:
The programme is supported at national level, with oversight from senior clinical leadership across NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, emphasising the need to move from identifying issues to delivering measurable change.
Clinical Implications
For clinicians, educators and service leaders, this development signals:
- A national shift towards more flexible and responsive training models
- Increased focus on aligning training with service delivery and patient need
- Ongoing efforts to improve workforce experience, retention and team culture
- Greater emphasis on modernising training structures to reflect current and future healthcare demands
Find oure more: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/03/new-medical-training-chair-bring-system-modern-era/
To support these developments in practice, the Improving Medical Education virtual conference provides practical guidance for clinicians involved in training, education and clinical supervision.
The conference focuses on:
- Developing your role as a clinical supervisor and educator
- Supporting trainees in difficulty
- Building effective and trusting educational relationships
- Ensuring fairness, equality and capacity within training roles
- Reflecting on national and GMC developments in medical education
