Surgical trainees survey asks additional questions on patient safety in light of Francis report

The Joint Committee on Surgical Training (JCST) trainee survey will include questions on patient safety in the light of recommendations made by Robert Francis in his report on failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.1

Sallie Nicholas, head of the JCST, said that the patient safety questions had been added to the 2013-14 JCST survey. The Francis report, published in February, recommended that trainee surveys should be optimised as a source of information about patient safety. It said that trainees were the “invaluable eyes and ears” in a hospital.

Nicholas said: “I think it [patient safety] is something that we think is extremely important anyway but I think the Francis report has really influenced everybody’s thinking. I don’t think we’ll be the only organisation looking at what we do, right across the board, and make sure we’re doing as much as possible.”

The 2013-14 JCST trainee survey will also contain additional questions for trainees who are in less than full time training. Nicholas said the JCST had carried out an informal survey of trainees in less than full time training, which suggested that the committee’s regular survey should include more questions about their experiences. “We’re keen to make sure they’re getting as good an experience as possible,” she said.