Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Objectives Junior doctor burnout and retention is a growing crisis within the NHS. The 2022 GMC National Training Survey found that 39% of junior doctors reported burnout to a high degree. 1 Lack of flexibility and autonomy are key contributing factors to poor retention of UK junior doctors. 2 We aimed to target this by introducing a self- rostering system to our paediatric registrar rota. Self-rostering in nursing teams was shown to improve staff satisfaction and retention. 3 4 Our aim was to introduce a new self-rostering system to improve trainee work-life balance and well-being. With more flexibility, we expected reduced rota-gaps and trust expenditure on locums, ultimately improving the service. Bristol children's hospital has introduced self-rostering demonstrating benefits at a tertiary level. 5 Methods We approached a team who had developed a self-rostering system for junior doctors and subsequently implemented it for use on our 10-person paediatric registrar rota at a District General Hospital. Recognising challenges in adopting this system for our rota, including 80% of our registrars working less than full time and varied shift requirements, we conducted a 6-month trial period to evaluate suitability while maintaining patient safety. Using an online questionnaire, we gathered feedback from registrars on the rota in 3 key areas; Usability and satisfaction Impact on annual leave, study leave and training opportunities Work-life balance and wellbeing Additionally, we compared trust expenditure on locum paediatric registrars between two 6-week periods in September-October 2022 (rolling rota) and September- October 2023 (self-rostering rota). Results A total of 11 registrars responded to our survey, none had previously experienced self-rostering. 91% found it easy to customise the rota according to their preferences and needs. All respondents indicated it was easy to request annual leave and study leave. Impressively, 89% of the registrars expressed high satisfaction with this new rota. 82% of registrars believed that self-rostering had a positive impact on work-life balance (graph 1). Furthermore, data on locum expenditures revealed that following self-rostering there was a reduced need for locum cover due to registrar rota gaps, resulting in a total saving of £4450 (table 1). Conclusion This demonstrates that the self-rostering system not only improves trainee satisfaction by increasing flexibility and autonomy; but also, by utilising trainee-led working patterns, it minimises rota gaps and reduces trust locum expenditure. With future PDSA cycles, we plan to refine the system based on trainee feedback, with a focus on enhancing well-being of junior doctors. References General Medical Council. https: //www. gmc-uk. org//media/documents/national-training-survey-summary-report-2022-finalₚdf-91826501. pdf. Published 2022. Accessed 24 October, 2023. Lock FK, Carrieri D. Factors affecting the UK junior doctor workforce retention crisis: an integrative review. BMJ Open 2022. Webster B, Archibald D. Self-rostering, work-life balance and job satisfaction in UK nursing: a literature review. Nurs Manag (Harrow). 2022. Barrett R, Holme A. Self-rostering can improve work-life balance and staff retention in the NHS. Br J Nurs. 2018. Darma K, Jones Z, Mather F, et al. 534 Rebalancing the scales: training vs. service provision. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2023.
Burford et al. (Tue,) studied this question.