Setting

This audit may apply to all doctors within a hospital, directorate or trust.

Background

Ongoing training of staff, including doctors, in safety and other aspects of National Health Service (NHS) work is important for maintaining skills and knowledge. There is national and local policy on training requirements. The aim of this audit was to assess 12-monthly levels of compliance with mandatory and optional training according to national and trust policy using an online survey tool. It may be adapted to a paper-based survey.

Standards

Standards were obtained from a range of documents. Of particular relevance were the following standards for specific areas of medical practice:

ᐅ infection control requires annual training (Department of Health, 2008)

ᐅ basic life support requires annual training (Resuscitation Council, 2008)

ᐅ breakaway techniques requires training on starting employment and annually thereafter (Department of Health, 2005)

ᐅ the care programme approach (CPA) requires training on starting employment (Department of Health, 2001)

ᐅ child protection requires 1 day of training every 2 years for those working with children, or a half-day every 2 years for those not working with children (Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 2003).

NHS organisations are increasingly being audited by the Audit Commission regarding mandatory training. The target was that these standards were met for all doctors.

Method

Data collection

The medical staffing or medical education departments should have a list of email addresses for all doctors. Early liaison with the audit department and these departments is important.

Data were captured using an online survey tool piloted previously. Two rounds of emails were sent out to all doctors (at all grades) in the trust. Responding doctors were asked about basic demographic information (grade, site and months in post) and to answer yes or no to a list of courses that they might have attended in the past 12 months.

Reasons for not attending were asked about and could include:

ᐅ did not know about it

ᐅ did not want to

ᐅ not enough time

ᐅ some training seen as inappropriate.

Free-text responses were allowed.

Doctors were asked what might change to improve attendance. They could choose one or more of the following options:

ᐅ easier access and protected time

ᐅ multiple themes combined in a regular training session (e.g. weekly)

ᐅ reminders and deadlines via email

ᐅ improving the relevance of some courses

ᐅ improved access to e-learning.