Welcome to the Yorkshire and Humber Trainee Forum
The influential voice for trainees: Ensuring postgraduate doctors & dentists in training in the YH region are fairly, equitably and transparently represented.
We aim to drive improvements in quality of education and training, well-being and support.
NEXT TRAINEE WIDER FORUM MEETING: 24th MAY 2023 9-12PM request an invite to the meeting HERE, or request an invite to your local regional drop in session HERE
You can also find out who your local wider forum rep is HERE
APPLICATIONS OPEN:
Applications to the Trainee Wider Forum are always open and all applications are on a non-competitive basis
Check out the tabs and documents section below for all the information you need.
(Recent recruitment to the Trainee Executive Forum closed 10th March 2023).
WHAT ARE WE ABOUT?
The YH Trainee Forum was created in 2020 and provides a platform for all postgraduate doctors and dentists in training in the Yorkshire and Humber region to offer feedback, share ideas for ways to improve training, and raise any concerns regarding the quality of their education, training and experience in the region.
The Forum's purpose is to promote excellent training, enhance recruitment and retention and improve the postgraduate doctor and dentist in training experience for all. The Forum is chaired and run by trainees in direct contact with the YH Postgraduate Dean and the Deanery team.
The YH Trainee Forum is structured with an Executive and Wider Forum (see below) who work together collaboratively to drive improvements in quality of education and training, well-being, and support.
Meetings for the Trainee Executive Forum run on a monthly basis.
Meetings for the Wider Trainee Forum run on a quarterly basis. The upcoming meeting dates are:
May 24th 2023 9-12pm
KEY AGENDA ITEMS for May:
- Rethinking the postgraduate medical education in the wake of Covid-19
August 23rd 2023 9-12pm
November 22nd 2023 9-12pm
Getting involved is a springboard to other exciting opportunities on other committees, as well as creating change, meeting new people, and enhancing management and leadership skills.
MEET THE TRAINEE EXECUTIVE FORUM MEMBERS
CALL FOR TRAINEE WIDER FORUM MEMBERS:
Everyone is welcome! However, there are some responsibilities of the role. Please refer to the Job Description for information regarding expectations.
Applications are on a non - competitive basis, but we are looking for enthusiastic individuals, with a passion for improving experience for trainees across the region.
Please see the tab 'Join the... WIDER FORUM' and click the links below in documents for details on how to apply to the Wider Forum, and a description of the role.
VACANCIES ON THE EXECUTIVE FORUM:
Recent recruitment to the Trainee Executive Forum closed 10th March 2023.
Check out the tabs and documents section below for more information about the Executive Forum and representative roles.
DO YOU WANT TO... ASK A QUESTION, RAISE A QUERY OR A CONCERN ABOUT YOUR TRAINING, EXPERIENCE AS A TRAINEE TO THE FORUM OR HEE??
If yes, please complete the questionnaire, linked HERE
As the Trainee Forum, we want to act as a bridge between postgraduate doctors and dentists in training and HEE management. The questionnaire responses will get checked on a regular basis, and we will try to answer on a bi-monthly basis. Responses will be answered and uploaded onto the website. Please note if you wish to remain anonymous it may affect our ability to answer a query fully.
Contact Information: If you would like to join the Trainee Forum, or would like more information, to raise an issue or add an agenda item to the next Executive or Wider Forum meeting, please email us at: traineeforum.yh@hee.nhs.uk
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Emma Howe - Chair of the Forum
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Hi, I’m Emma. I am currently on an OOPE as a Future Leaders Programme Fellow, with my background being in O&G (ST5). I am proud of my Yorkshire roots and have remained close to home throughout my undergraduate and postgraduate training in South Yorkshire. My role this next year is focused around growing and developing trainee engagement in HEE in Yorkshire & the Humber. As chair of the trainee forum, I am keen to provide a platform to ensure an effective two-way communication between trainees and HEE. It is important that trainees can have their voice heard, share what is working well, and what isn’t, to continue to improve our training and experiences in YH. Let’s work together to make our region the best one! |
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Roxanne Cottrell - East Locality Lead
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Lauren Harkin - Less Than Full Time Lead
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I’m Lauren, an Acute Medicine Registrar in West Yorkshire. Originally from a wee place called Donegal in Ireland- I came to the UK in 2005 for medical school and have been training in Yorkshire since 2012. I have had two amazing children during my training and now work less than full time (LTFT). I have a special interest in medical education- especially postgraduate training and I have completed the postgraduate diploma in medical education. I am a huge advocate for simulation and human factors training. I joined the forum to highlight the role of HEE to trainees and to improve communication between both parties so they can work together to improve the training experience and make our region the best place to work and train. I am the LTFT lead and feel passionate about being a voice for LTFT trainees so they can offer feedback or ideas and raise concerns about their education and training. Outside of medicine I enjoy running, skiing, holidays, shopping and getting back to Ireland when I can. |
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Lucy McCabe - Quality Lead
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I’m an ST6 in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, working within West Yorkshire. I have an interest in Quality Improvement and patient safety and I am the Quality Lead for the Forum. I have previously been involved with projects to improve Junior Doctor engagement and well-being at a Trust level and am passionate about ensuring that we’re able to achieve our potential within our training programmes. I joined the Trainee Forum to help establish a two-way conversation between trainees and HEE to overall improve our experience and training. |
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Donnar Ejiofor - Equality and Diversity Lead
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I am a GP Registrar based in Leeds, currently doing a OOPE as a Future Leader Fellow with Health Education (HEE) in Yorkshire and Humber. As a fellow, I am working to improve Differential Attainment (DA) in the GP school. I believe that everyone should be presented with equal opportunities irrespective of their race, sex, colour, sexuality and disability; and I am keen to explore how we can work with HEE to ensure that training in every specialty is equitable. Prior to my OOPE, I did not know much about the Trainee Forum. I think it’s a valuable tool that EVERY trainee in Yorkshire should be a part of and use to their advantage to make their voice heard by HEE in order to improve their training experience. Outside work, I enjoy chasing around and creating memories with my three boys (my husband and two toddlers) |
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Charlotte Chuter - Wider Forum Lead
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I'm Charlotte, the Wider Forum Lead and an Internal Medicine Trainee. I have worked within the York Hospital Trust for a few years, both for foundation training and now as an IMT. I am passionate about improving and developing training and education in Yorkshire and Humber as it is essential to our work as doctors and dentists. I am working to raise the profile of the Wider Forum as a platform for dialogue between Health Education England and trainees. We will identify and discuss the challenges faced by trainees and Health Education England Yorkshire and the Humber will respond and communicate back to trainees. I will also serve as a link between the Wider Forum and Trainee Executive Forum. When I'm not working, I'm out for a swim or chasing my two little ones. |
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Will Sapwell - Employers Lead
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I'm normally a cardiology SpR but this year I am out of programme with the Future Leaders Programme. My role with the executive forum is help trainees navigate the interplay between their training requirements (the responsibility of HEE) and their employment (managed by their trust). I'm particularly keen to help trainees navigate the system when raising training issues, and to get the most out of exception reporting. |
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Laura Naish - Equality and Diversity Lead
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I’m Laura, an ST5 O&G trainee in South Yorkshire and have just gone LTFT to get a bit of that elusive work-life balance. I studied in Sheffield, stayed here for foundation training and now my specialty training, and am a strong advocate of all things Yorkshire. I know there are some problems with education and training, both within Yorkshire and systemically throughout the NHS and trying to address these issues can seem overwhelming. However, I hope my time on the TEF will enable me to learn how to go about making effective change and put this learning into positive actions by working closely with HEE and other TEF members. I am passionate about welling, support and am happy to get stuck in with anything so whilst I am 50% of the EDI team, I hope I can be an advocate for a range of issues that are currently trainees facing. So as the Yorkshire tea advert so eloquently puts it – Let’s do it for Yorkshire (trainees) |
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Ugochukwu Uzondu - South Locality Lead
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My name is Ugochukwu, a GPST2 in a Medical Education Innovative Training Programme. I am involved with teaching medical students which I enjoy doing. I serve as the Trainee representative for General Practice trainees in Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital. My interest in joining the executive forum is to ensure that trainees are part of the decision-making process within the HEE – creating the trainee perspective. My observation is that trainees have different experiences through their journey, and some feel less empowered in certain areas and unaware of the support and resources available to them. I intend to use this platform to create the awareness while evaluating the impact of these measures via feedback. I have lived in South Yorkshire since June 2021 when I started my General Practice training and enjoying it here. I had my medical school training in Nigeria and finished 2012. Since then, I have worked in different roles until 2018 when I migrated with my family and lived in Sheffield, went South (Stevenage) after a while but found my way back to Yorkshire and Humber. |
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Sanah Sajawal - West Locality Lead
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I’m Sanah and at the moment I am working as a Future Leaders Fellow with Yorkshire and Humber Foundation School. By background I am an ST6 rheumatology trainee, and I have been in West Yorkshire since 2014. I am passionate about teaching and have been actively engaged in this from the outset of my undergraduate degree. Over the years, I have taught undergraduate medical students, physician associates, postgraduate doctors and trainees studying for PACES. Currently I am undertaking my PG Diploma in Medical Education with the aim of completing my Masters by 2023. I joined the trainee executive forum as I believe that it is important trainee concerns are heard and steps are taken to improve training experience for all trainees. I am keen to address issues related to working LTFT, taking time out of training, returning to training after a period of absence (long or short) and trainee wellbeing. I would also like to increase awareness of what HEE and the trainee forum do and believe by doing this we can improve training for all. |
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Sara Khalid - Wellbeing & Support Lead
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Wellbeing, in my opinion, is the most important aspect of training. With high pressures following the pandemic I am passionate about helping prioritise trainee wellbeing and keeping at the forefront of all conversations. |
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Susan Stokes - Secretary
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Hi, I’m Susie, a Paediatric Dental Registrar in West Yorkshire. I am Secretary of the Trainee Executive Forum as well as the Wider Trainee Forum. Over the course of my training I have taken time out for family reasons; joy and crisis. The path through training can be long and sometimes tortuous, littered with unexpected diversions. I am a strong advocate for the empowerment of trainees and the facilitation of safe, supported, flexible progress through training, and am keen to support the voice of the YH Trainee Forum in its efforts to achieve that. Outside of work I enjoy horse riding, reading, nature, and building dens with my boys. |
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Vice Chair: Sara Page
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Hi, I am Sara. I am currently out of program as a future leaders fellow and usually a geriatric registrar (ST3). I began foundation training in South Yorkshire in 2013 and I have worked here since. I have two children and work less than full time. I joined the trainee forum to try to help improve communication between trainees and HEE. I am keen to improve our training culture and the training experience. I am happy to be emailed directly for any concerns or feedback! Sara.page@nhs.net |
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Jessie Tebbutt - Communications & Engagement lead
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I’m Jessie, an Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) in Special Care Dentistry, recently Returning to Training (RTT), after taking a year Out of Programme (OOP) as a Clinical Leadership Fellow. Before starting my ACF, I was already in clinical Specialty Training, based in Bournemouth on the South Coast. However, my time out gave me time to reflect on my career path, and I chose to side-step into the world of academic training. I am excited to be supporting the TEF in growing its platform, promoting and increasing engagement with trainees across the region. I am passionate about building a more flexible, adaptive and supportive culture for trainees. I have an interest in developing compassionate leadership within healthcare and valuing authenticity. When I’m not in clinic or the medical library, you can usually find me watering my houseplants, in the gym or with my nose in a book. Twitter: @SpecialCareReg |
Recruitment for Trainee Executive Forum roles recently closed. But see the information below for further details about the Executive forum and the representative role positions.
The roles of the Executive Forum:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- Secretary
- Quality Lead
- Locality Leads (East, South, West)
- Wellbeing & Support Lead
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead (2 roles)
- Employers Lead
- Wider Forum Lead
- Communication & Engagement Lead
- Less than full time (LTFT) Lead
What does membership to the Executive Forum involve?
The aim of the Trainee Forum is to improve postgraduate doctor and dentist in training engagement with the work of HEE YH to improve the quality of training and education in the region. As a Executive Forum member, you’ll be working alongside other executive members to seek opinions and present the views of all postgraduate doctors and dentists in training in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, both to the Trainee Forum and to HEE YH. You will be actively engaged in local and regional improvement projects and helping to find examples of good practice and share them. Some role responsibilities will vary between roles, depending on the specific role each executive member holds.
Current roles include chair, vice chair, secretary, wider forum lead, quality lead, wellbeing and support lead, employers lead, locality lead (East, South, West), equality diversity and inclusion lead, less than full time lead and communications and engagement lead.
The Executive Forum meets monthly, within working hours and each meeting last approximately 3 hours.
Executive Forum members are entitled to two sessions (equivalent to 1 day) of professional leave per month to complete Trainee Forum work and to attend Executive and Wider Forum meetings.
What are the opportunities?
Being a member of the trainee forum will give you a number of opportunities:
- Leadership and management skills for personal and professional development (including to meet required training competencies).
- Opportunity to represent, meet with and work alongside your fellow postgraduate doctors and dentists in training, colleagues and seniors within HEE and Yorkshire and the Humber.
- Develop a greater understanding of the functions and roles within HEE YH and the management of education and training across the region.
- Completion of two leadership courses funded by HEE YH (Effective meetings) and (NHS Structure and Power Dynamics).
- Completion of the healthcare leadership 360 appraisal and receive bespoke feedback on this (2 hour 1:1 session).
- Membership of the Trainee Forum is a significant leadership and management opportunity. An annual certificate and/or letter of contribution/confirmation of attendance will be issued acknowledging meeting attendance and thanking members for their engagement, work and support.
Check out the documents below to find out more about specific role job descriptions and the application process for the Trainee Executive Forum.
We want to keep trainees informed about all the projects, initiatives, and behind the scenes work the forum are involved in...
Here is a list of the things we are trying to get up and running to help improve trainees experience, education, training and well-being.
If there are any ideas or initiatives you would like us to try to work on with HEE YH please get in touch, or even better join the forum - we love blue sky thinking.
Touchstone: You Said, We Did - Click here for the Document detailing the Trainee Forum has been doing with the Quality Team
Welcome to Touchstone, where your voice is an important part of the process in identifying how the Quality Team and Trainee Forum can play a part in improving working lives and how we can collaboratively work together to achieve this goal. It will be a challenge and a commitment to change!! In this section we aim to discuss issues important to you and help you know that as a trainee doctor or dentist ‘Your Voice Matters’ and how your actions can contribute to better training experience for all!
The Trainee Forum and Quality Team are here to listen to your concerns, identify potential resolutions and be transparent on how your engagement can helps us make a difference. The Forum would like to thank the Quality team for working collaboratively to allow transparency & understanding of improvements that can be made to training and the workplace.
Please take time to make the most of this opportunity and to recommend what YOU want to see from Quality by contacting Vicky Jones, Quality Co-ordinator at vicky.jones@hee.nhs.uk.
We are currently developing a bank of resources to help trainees find useful information relating to their training.
Please see documents section below:
- Less Than Full Time Working Training Guide
- Less Than Full Time Working for Foundation Trainees
- Foundation Training Guide To Self Development Time
- ARCP Timeline
- Exception Reporting
- What is HEE
- Welcome to Yorkshire
- Leadership Opportunities
- International Medical Graduates
Please let the Forum know if you would like any information or a guide created about a particular topic by emailing traineeforum.yh@hee.nhs.uk
Check out the @YH_Trainees twitter account for the up to date information when you need. You'll hear about training advice, wellbeing strategies, leadership opportunities and many more.
If you want to ask the Trainee Forum a question, or ask us to pass along a question to HEE YH - please fill out this questionnaire:
We are continuing to accept application of interest to the Wider Forum. All applications are on a non-competitive basis: everyone is welcome!
What does membership to the Wider Forum involve?
The aim of the Trainee forum is to improve postgraduate doctor and dentist in training engagement with the work of HEE YH to improve the quality of training and education in the region. As a Wider Forum member, you’ll be expected to seek and represent the views, ideas and concerns of postgraduate doctors and/or dentists in training in your School, Specialty or Trust. This may include utilising specialist knowledge, such as from the local Trust’s Junior Doctors Forum, School/Specialty trainee reps, BMA reps, Chief Registrars and Future Leader Fellows. You will be supported to work collaboratively with others on improvement projects which you are interested in.
The Wider Forum meets quarterly, within working hours and each meeting last approximately 3 hours.
Wider Forum members are entitled to one session (equivalent to 1/2 day) of professional leave per month to complete Trainee Forum work and attend Wider Forum meetings.
What are the opportunities?
Being a member of the trainee forum will give you a number of opportunities:
- Leadership and management skills for personal and professional development (including to meet required training competencies).
- Opportunity to represent, meet with and work alongside your fellow postgraduate doctors and dentists in training, colleagues and seniors within HEE and Yorkshire and the Humber.
- Develop a greater understanding of the functions and roles within HEE YH and the management of education and training across the region.
- Signposting to the ‘Leadership for Clinicians Early in their Careers’ course, for postgraduate doctors and dentists in training up to ST4 level. (ST5+ level have access to a three-day ‘Leadership and Management’ course as part of their generic skills offer on Maxcourse).
- Opportunity to apply for a role in the executive forum when executive committee members vacancies arise. The executive committee application is a competitive process which will include recognition for previous work as a member of the wider trainee forum.
- Membership of the Trainee Forum is a significant leadership and management opportunity. An annual certificate and/or letter of contribution/confirmation of attendance will be issued acknowledging meeting attendance and thanking members for their engagement, work and support.
Check out the documents below to find out more about 'Job description for the Wider Forum' and 'Application process for the Wider Trainee Forum'
Should there be multiple applicants from the same hospital/specialty and rota, there may have to be a selective application process via reviewing CV’s.
Since November 2021 the Trainee Forum has been releasing a quarterly newsletter to keep postgraduate doctors and dentists in the YH region up to date with what is going on, highlight educational or leadership opportunities, celebrate the success stories of region and promote feedback from readers.
If you would like to suggest any items for future newsletters, or request any column space please do get in touch - traineeforum.yh@hee.nhs.uk
Please see links and details below for previous editions:
- Demystifying HEE
- Study Leave
- Exception reporting
- Covid recovery
- Covid update
- Leadership opportunities
- LTFT training
- Professional well-being and support
- Equality Diversity and Inclusion
- HEE YH
- What should we call junior doctors
- Coaching
- Chief registrar role
- Enhancing generalist skills programme
- ACCENT for study leave
- Celebrate: Future Leader's Conference
- Enhancing Junior Doctors Working Lives report
- F3 Phenomenon - top tips for planning your F3 year
- Exception reporting - when and how
- The Future Leaders Programme
- Take Time and Workplace Wellbeing - psychological support services
- IMG Handbook
- Celebrate: EDI national learners assembly
- Compassionate redeployment
- Sustainability in the NHS
- The King's Fund
- The YH study leave policy
- 10 days of happiness, You OK Doc?, Practitioner help
- Celebrate: New Trainee Executive Forum members
We'd like to signpost you to the accounts below which aim to:
- Keep you up to date with what's going on in the region
- Highlight exciting leadership or educational opportunities available nearby
- Point you in the direction of useful information/resources that can enhance your training experience in YH
- Champion aspiring behaviours and attitudes to cultivate positive team cultures which promote diversity, inclusivity and equality
- Support your wellbeing
TWITTER @YH_Trainees
INSTAGRAM @YH_Trainees
Reverse mentoring with a focus on Differential Attainment
Q: What is reverse mentoring?
Traditional mentoring involves the education and sponsorship of junior employees by senior colleagues who have themselves already made career advances. Reverse mentoring inverts the paradigm with junior doctors mentoring the senior staff, in this instance with the aim of addressing differential attainment. This will involve inviting junior UK and International medical graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds being paired with educational supervisors to mentor them on their lived experiences of training over a 6 month period.
Q: What are the benefits of such a program?
Similar reverse mentoring work has been introduced in other industries and organisations. There are envisaged benefits for the participating trainee mentors, the senior staff mentees, and at an organisational level. The scheme aims to embed the experiences of minority ethnic team members within the leadership consciousness. It offers an opportunity to explore and challenge systematic biases, thereby promoting a more inclusive training culture.
In addition to effecting positive changes on an organisational level, the participating trainee mentors will also have the opportunity to learn from the experience and leadership journey of their paired senior educator mentee. Mentors will also develop their professional networks, gaining career development insights and a more intimate understanding of how training works. We hope that this project will mirror the success of similar schemes in which participants valued the close relationships that form and lead to bi-directional learning. At HEE Yorkshire and Humber, similar work has already led to commitments, and action, in addressing inequalities in training. Differential attainment is now a priority item in our organisation’s agenda and is a personal priority for our leaders.
How the scheme works
After recruiting mentors, a pairing exercise will be carried out to match them to educational supervisors with compatible goals. We anticipate that mentor-mentee meetings will occur approximately every 6 weeks over a period of 6 months (4 or 5 meetings) with each meetings lasting around 45 to 60 minutes.
Prior to the first mentoring meeting, there will be a ‘kick-off’ event where mentors will participate in mentoring training and get an overview of the scheme. This will also be an opportunity for mentors to meet one another to share their goals and questions.
During the mentoring period there will scope for the reverse mentors and mentees to share ideas and experiences during a mid-point review meeting.
At the end of the 6 month reverse mentoring period, the project will culminate in a ‘wrap-up’ session where participants come together to reflect on what has been learned and achieved. You will have guidance throughout the process.
As far possible, our aim to structure participation within your salaried ‘work time’ rather than asking that you sacrifice your personal time. By aiming to hold mentoring sessions six weeks apart, this should facilitate planning to use study or professional leave to participate within working hours. Health Education England will provide you with a letter from the Dean to support your professional leave.
We recognise that given a high level of interest in this project we may not be able to pair every volunteer mentor. If there are more applicants than required for the mentee pool, we will select purely on the pairing exercise described above. For those we are unable to pair, we hope to offer further opportunity to participate in the differential attainment project, as our work moves into different areas. We will ask for trainees’ preferences as to whether they would like to be paired with a mentee from their specialty or a different specialty.
To apply to be part of this reverse mentoring program, please use the link below to complete the mentor survey by 16th December 2022.
Mentor survey link
For more information, please contact alice.pullinger@hee.nhs.uk
You can now meet your East/South/West locality lead after the WIDER Forum meetings.
- Ask questions or raise a concern about your training
- Get involved in local training-improvement projects
- Share ideas for how to improve training in your region
See details below:
