There were almost two and a half thousand SAS and locally employed (LE) doctors in Wales in 2021, according to the GMC’s workforce report 2022. This workforce had grown by just over a quarter (26%) since 2017. SAS and LE doctors in Wales are more likely to be male (59%) and to be international medical graduates (60%).
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) recognises a need for SAS doctors to have “access to better training” and has been working to deliver bespoke training and support opportunities. The HEIW strategy for SAS doctors has three aims:
- to develop the local infrastructure to support SAS doctors within each Health Board
- to provide access to additional training opportunities that support personal development
- to explore and pilot opportunities to introduce a quality assurance framework that will assist SAS doctors in seeking revalidation.
Find out more about SAS in Wales:
- Mr Raj Nirula – one of our SAS trailblazers – is Associate Postgraduate Dean for SAS Doctors in Wales and COPMeD Lead Associate Postgraduate Dean for SAS Doctors.
- Mr Amol Pandit works at Swansea Bay University Health Board and, amongst many activities, has been advocating for international medical graduates and race equality.
- Ms Sujatha Udayasankar is a specialty doctor in General Surgery at Hywel Dda University Health Board and describes her experience of coaching, mentoring and getting into leadership.
- Dr Hesham Emam is a SAS dental surgeon with a special interest in oral surgery, based in Swansea.
The HEIW team facilitates the education, training, and career progression for all SAS doctors in Wales, supported by a network of SAS Tutors based in each of the Health Boards. Large health boards have also appointed a SAS Advocate to serve as a point of contact for SAS doctors, improve the visibility of SAS doctors within the organisation, and be an additional interface between SAS doctors and the management team. Some health boards also have a CESR lead to support doctors during the process.
For more about the support available to SAS doctors and dentists in Wales, including details of SAS Tutors and SAS Advocates across the Health Boards, visit: https://heiw.nhs.wales/education-and-training/sas-doctors/
Resources
…commits to supporting and developing the role of the SAS doctor as a highly valued and vital part of the medical workforce in Wales. It sets out the rights and responsibilities of both SAS doctors and employers, with the aim of enabling SAS doctors and dentists to realise their full clinical potential and to deliver the best patient care.
…reports on a Royal College of Physicians workshop of SAS doctors in Wales and calls on NHS Wales to harness the potential of these experienced doctors and for health boards to ensure that SAS doctors have protected time for career development, education and research and that their workload and clinical experience is formally recognised.
