BMA backs pilot to reduce long-distance hospital rotations for resident doctors

The British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed the launch of new pilot programmes designed to reduce long-distance hospital rotations for resident doctors in training.

Around 200 resident doctors across England will take part in the pilots as newly qualified doctors begin their first hospital roles today.

The pilots, agreed as part of the 2024 deal that ended resident doctor industrial action, aim to reduce the geographical size of rotation areas, keep doctors within the same NHS trust where possible and make rotations longer and less frequent.

The BMA said the current system often requires doctors to move between hospitals several times a year, sometimes with little notice, forcing them to relocate or face lengthy commutes while repeatedly rebuilding working relationships.

According to a BMA survey, 72% of general surgery trainees said they were unhappy with the distance between their rotations.

Dr Alex Boulton, a resident doctor, described being allocated a hospital around 90 miles from the flat he had already rented in Leeds after initially expecting to work locally.

He said: “There I was, facing down the barrel of a two hour commute each way daily and I had no choice but to do it – I had already signed my tenancy agreement.

“Shifts longer than twelve hours, night shifts, weekends, and each day driving more than four hours on top of this. It made it physically impossible for me to get a full eight hours of sleep on many days, and the impact of this was tangible.