Journal Article

8339 PEAR drops: directly rostered opportunities for protected SPA: a paediatric trainee experience multi-site audit and research (PEAR) follow on study

London REACH Network, Sturrock, Sarah, Yan, Georgina, Habermann, Stephanie, Lundy, Conan, Lawson, George, Loucaides, Eva, Robertson, Hamish, Hartzenberg, Rose, Thompson, Rachel, Ghosh, Neelakshi, Lin, Naomi, Carr, Dominic

2025

Overview

Why did you do this work?The PEAR study, conducted by the London REACH (Research, Evaluation and Audit in Child Health) Network identified lack of time as a significant barrier to trainees’ participation in research and quality improvement projects.1Supporting Professional Activity (SPA) time is essential for paediatric training, as emphasised in the RCPCH Trainee Charter.2 This recommends a minimum of 8 or 16 hours SPA time per month for ST1-3 and ST4+ trainees respectively, additional to departmental teaching and clinical administrative time.To address this, we aimed to quantify rostered SPA time for paediatric trainees in comparison to the RCPCH Trainee Charter. Additionally, we reviewed trainees’ subjective experiences of SPA provision.What did you do?We conducted a cross-sectional study utilising the London REACH network, a trainee-led research initiative spanning 28 London hospitals . Local leads at each site carried out a scoping survey to gather information on what paediatric services are present at each hospital, and the levels of trainees they accommodated (Senior House Officer (SHO) or Registrars)).Based on this initial survey, local leads identified one SHO and one Registrar trainee (where applicable) from each paediatric department. These trainees completed a survey regarding their experience with SPA provision and submitted their full-time generic work schedules.We then analysed the submitted schedules for rostered SPA time and compared them with the RCPCH recommendations.What did you find?We received scoping survey responses from 21 out of 28 (75%) London hospitals that have paediatric trainees. From this, there were a total of 110 possible work schedules that could be collated, of which we received 56 (51%). Among these, 14 (25%) had directly rostered SPA time with on average, 8.8 hours of SPA time per month for SHOs, and 11.1 hours for Registrars. Additionally, 31 (57%) rotas included shifts which were ‘occasionally’ used for SPA time. However this was not explicitly rostered for on the work schedule, and respondents reported that it was routinely not available for SPA time, and not protected. It was also reported that SPA days were often required to be taken as leave in order to take a full leave allowance.What does it mean?There is significant variation and insufficiency in the allocation of SPA time for paediatric trainees across the London area, with notable discrepancies between Registrars and SHOs, relative to the RCPCH Trainee Charter values. Moreover, only 7 (13%) work schedules aligned with RCPCH guidance on SPA time, indicating that a large cohort of trainees must use their personal time to engage in quality improvement and research activities. As research is a core competency of the RCPCH curriculum, there is a clear need for dedicated time for trainees to fulfil these important tasks.ReferencesPaediatric Trainee Experience of Multi-site Audit and Research (PEAR), a cross-sectional London REACH Network study. Dore R, D’Souza M, Ghosh N, Carr D, Loucaides E, the REACH collaborative. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.journal.londonpaediatrics.co.uk/index.php/1/article/view/75Training Charter. RCPCH. (2024). Available at: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/training-charter [Accessed 3 Oct. 2024].

• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subject: Fruits / Hospitals / Networks / Pediatrics / Polls & surveys / Quality control / Quality improvement / Surveys / Trainees / Training / Working Hours