Key points
- Expanding training across a range of settings will bring major benefits to specialist trainees, specialist medical practitioners, the training settings and the community.
- For specialist trainees, there will be improved training opportunities and experiences available. This will ensure that, as independent practitioners, they will be competent to manage the full spectrum of clinical presentations and problems in their specialty.
- Both specialist trainees and other doctors will benefit because training will become more closely aligned with subsequent practice. It will also create opportunities to expand training to match service delivery and community health care needs and expectations.
- The expanded settings will increase the health system's capacity to provide clinical placements for more specialist trainees, without increasing pressure on the teaching capacity of public hospitals.
- Safety and quality of health care will be assured within the expanded training settings through an increased focus on the patient journey, leading to better trained doctors and an enhanced learning and service provision environment.
- Patients and the community will benefit from having a greater number of specialists available to provide care, and more trainees and specialists working in public settings (regional, rural and ambulatory settings), the private sector (hospitals and practices), and community settings.