6458 London school of paediatrics survey – learning points from the 11th annual survey: March 2023-September 2023

Objectives To evaluate London paediatric trainee priorities and identify areas of improvement to achieve an outstanding training programme. To compare these results to previous years to monitor trends and provide up-to-date training recommendations. Methods 983 London paediatric trainees were invited to complete a survey on their training experiences for their March-September 2023 rotation. The survey comprised of two separate areas for analysis Closed questions – allowing for rating and comparison between trusts and sub-speciality Open comments – written responses on both placement positives and improvements/issues Free text qualitative analysis was performed by DataSyrup and the Everyday Excellence subgroup of the London School of Paediatrics. Results 705/778 'in programme' trainees responded to the survey – a 90% completion rate. This year, 80% of trainees judged their placement to be 'good' or 'excellent' – up 2% vs 2022 but lower than pre-covid levels. What makes an excellent placement? The top three factors creating a great placement for paediatric trainees remain similar to previous years (figure 1): Variety and novelty in learning experiences, opportunities and exposure Senior support – especially engaged and supportive Consultants Positive team relationships and friendly working environments What are the most pressing areas for improvement? Rota issues and staffing levels continue to dominate concerns -they are mentioned by half of trainees (figure 1); expectedly, other themes for improvement are largely the inverse of the positive aspects of placements. Results also show stage of training has more of an influence on placement satisfaction than being part time (figure 2) – Junior Registrars rate their placements lowest. Assessment of supporting professional activity (SPA) time was a new addition to the survey this year. With reference to the RCPCH trainee charter – 27% of trainees felt they were rostered for the recommended time or more; 23% answered: 'no, can't take recommended time' and 50% were not rostered for any SPA time at all. Conclusion Senior support, team environment and learning opportunities remain the cornerstones of an excellent trainee experience. This, alongside the aforementioned areas for improvement should be the focus for departments aiming to improve trainee experience. It seems we should be paying particular attention to trainees at Junior Registrar level who show worse satisfaction scores than other stages of training. Finally, new to the survey this year, we see only 27% of trainees fulfil RCPCH recommendations for SPA time – addressing this will require both an improvement in staffing levels and recognition of the value of SPA in training.