The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh would like to formally thank the vital role that trainee doctors have made to tackling the Covid crisis.
We are acutely aware of the disruption the pandemic has caused to training and the strain it has placed on the physical and mental well being of trainees. The second wave and the ever-increasing backlog of cancelled elective surgery mean that we need to support our trainees more than ever, so the first step must be to acknowledge their role, understand their concerns and offer support and advice where we can.
Good surgical care comes from motivated and focused teams focused on constant improvement and learning. This in turn relies on mutual support, respect and encouragement.
Consultants have an important role in creating positive working cultures by nurturing and empathising with trainees. There have been many examples of behavioural change during the pandemic and we want to ensure these are shared and spread. We are trying to facilitate this through, for example, our ongoing series of webinars and the continuation of vital educational and training courses.
We are therefore grateful for the role that trainees are playing. As stated, we are working hard to understand and react to issues as they arise as well as work with Deaneries, Trust and Health Boards. We will continue to do so.