The impact of COVID-19 on postgraduate training of doctors in the United Kingdom: a narrative review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption to healthcare systems globally. The delivery of medical education was consequently impacted as a result of this. In order to move past the pandemic, we must identify the gaps in postgraduate education. This literature review examines studies focusing on postgraduate training in the United Kingdom (UK) and attempts to bring together the issues that have been highlighted in these studies and the impact that this has had on trainees. It is important for the providers of healthcare education to have an understanding of the impacts of this disruption in order to maintain the quality of postgraduate medical education. Health Education England, along with the Royal Colleges, has published a report that sets a framework on how these issues can be addressed, with some of these changes starting to be implemented in 2022.