Keeping the Focus on Recruitment and Retention in Psychiatry in Scotland

AIMS: The Scottish psychiatric workforce has remained largely static; in June 2022, there were 1,164.7 whole-time equivalent (WTE) psychiatrists across all grades. RCPsych In Scotland recognise the importance of focussing on, and improving, the recruitment and retention of trainees in Psychiatry in Scotland by undertaking a number of different projects. METHODS: We understand that trainees have differing needs and therefore since 2018 have looked at different ways to attract and retain trainees using different mediums. These included membership benefits, written information, policy work, and events. With funding from NHS Education for Scotland we focussed on undergraduate students creating bursaries, a new RCPsych In Scotland welcome pack and ran summer schools. Focussing on existing trainees we had a stand at the virtual international congress, training events including ST4 interview skills webinars, bursaries for trainees to attend conferences and a workforce report to illustrate the likely gaps in future consultant posts as well as barriers to recruitment and retention throughout the work span. RESULTS: Due to the lengthy duration of psychiatric training it is not possible to evaluate an immediate impact of the campaign on Scotland's workforce however we have seen benefit by looking at other measurable objectives. The work focussing on undergraduates had led to a 333% increase in student associate membership of RCPsych in Scotland. In 2018 there was a 63.08% fill rate for core psychiatry posts compared to 100% in 2022. As recruitment is now national, it is not possible to get Scotland only data for competition ratios however the 2021 competition ratio for the UK was 2.99 compared to 1.48 in 2018. We are starting to see a change in higher training fill rates. In 2022 there was a 69% fill rate over all specialties with Psychiatry of Older Adults and Medical Psychotherapy both having a 100% fill rate. This is a slight improvement from 2019 where there was a 61% fill rate. CONCLUSION: The work undertaken by RCPscyh in Scotland has increased interest in psychiatry both at an undergraduate and post graduate level although there is still work to be done with regards to retention, both into higher training and also to consultant level posts. The work we are currently undertaking with the workforce report hopes to focus on the reasons that trainees leave training and we aim to use it to advocate for policy change with regards to training numbers and pathways in Scotland.