New curriculum for foundation doctors launches

The Foundation Programme curriculum, which underpins the training and professional development of newly graduated doctors, relaunches for the first time in five years this summer.

The curriculum sets out a holistic approach to care, including physical health, mental health and social health, and the skills required to manage this in both acute and community settings and for patients with chronic conditions.

Foundation doctors must demonstrate that they are competent in the traditional elements of medical training but also in areas such as communication and consultation skills, patient safety and teamwork. The curriculum provides a framework for educational progression that will help them achieve these skills and supports them through the first two years of professional development after graduation from medical school.

High standards of support and the importance of direct observation in the workplace feature strongly in the 2021 curriculum. It has a reduced number of higher-level outcomes and professional capabilities which means it is easier to follow and provides a more streamlined approach.

Dr Tony Choules, Chair of the AoMRC Foundation Programme Committee and Operational Advisor to the UKFPO, said: “The last curriculum was published in 2016 and a lot has happened since then, not least the recent coronavirus pandemic. To remain fit for purpose, the Foundation Programme must evolve with medical practice and training, so our doctors are properly equipped to practice in a range of healthcare setting, now and in the future.”