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Specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors could be bought in to help ease the pressure in general practice, according to new government proposals.
SAS doctors make up around a quarter of the medical workforce in hospitals across the country, and 83% of them have worked in medicine for 10 years or more.
In a new briefing paper, The widest possible pool of talent, the RCP says SAS doctor could make “an important contribution to primary care”, but they will need to be supported with the resource, funding and time necessary to ensure patient safety and high-quality care.
SAS doctors will need to be supported with funding and resource
The RCP highlights that SAS doctors are often motivated by a more flexible career path, geographical stability or a better work-life balance, and any new plans would need to ensure that SAS doctors could fulfil their potential.
The government must also ensure that these plans would not have a negative impact on already stretched hospital teams, as many SAS doctors would be removed from their current positions in secondary care.
Dr Jamie Read, RCP SAS lead, says the government must now publish further details of the proposal and how this would work in practice.
“An SAS job can be very rewarding, combining flexibility, stability and work-life balance with the opportunity to build a portfolio career. However, many SAS doctors say they feel isolated. Some struggle to have their workload formally recognised, or to work autonomously,” he said.
“We should support our colleagues to break down barriers and achieve wider system change which means ensuring they have protected time for non-clinical work and career development opportunities as part of a multi-professional team,” he added.
Undergraduate students must realise the different paths to becoming a doctor
The RCP has recently piloted local networks for SAS members and fellows in Wales and the south-west of England. This was designed to build a stronger, more supportive community of practice for these doctors
Based on these pilots, the RCP says it will not share good practice with the SAS network, and support SAS doctors to feel included and support them to feel less isolated.
The College says it will also highlight career development opportunities and promote different career options to ensure flexibility.
Dr Read says he hopes this new integration scheme will enable doctors in training to learn about different career paths into becoming a doctor.
“Historically, some people have seen SAS doctors as those who did not reach the end point, that is, becoming a GP or consultant. But many of us have made the positive choice to become an SAS doctor.
“For years, I had no idea what an SAS doctor was. I simply followed the training pathway that was laid out in front of me. It was only when I worked with a fantastic associate specialist that I learned more. We need to explain to undergraduate students that there are different options,” he said.