The last two years have been very different from anything we have ever experienced before. The restrictions imposed by the Government have reduced our ability to take holidays, limited opportunities to see family and friends, negatively impacted on work life balance and, for those with additional carer commitments, even more difficulties with schools and care facilities being shut.
We know that training experience during the pandemic has been affected. Most patients admitted to general ICUs have had COVID-19, with very little time in between waves to redress the negative impact this has had on the breadth of conditions usually seen on a general ICU. Elective surgery has been cancelled, restricting clinical experience of many specialist areas of ICM. Many doctors in training have had specialist placements significantly shortened to provide service on COVID units. These specialist placements occur in Stage 2 of training, so are included in the exam curriculum.
HEE and the devolved Statutory Education Boards also recognise this disruption and the impact it has had on progression and wellbeing. Longer hours and more nightshifts, a more stressful environment, reduction, or cancellation of teaching or moving to online delivery, has resulted in a very different learning experience which reduces personal contact with trainers and the benefits this affords. The physical and psychological challenges that have resulted from Covid have left many burned out.
