GMC warns hospital rota gaps impacting on some junior doctors's training

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However, the report highlighted the impact hospital staffing shortages could have if young medics were used to fill vacancies.

It said that a "frequently used process to mitigate rota gaps" was the appointment of junior doctors on short-term posts.

Most often these were junior doctors who had already completed the two compulsory foundation years in hospital following graduation from medical school.

The report stressed that the GMC had encountered the same practice over the past two years in other parts of the UK, but said it was important that junior doctors taking up these short-term posts were given the same opportunities as their colleagues in training schemes to become a specialist consultant.

It said: "Appointments of this nature keep young doctors in NHS services and give them the opportunity to embed or broaden their skills and competencies, however it is important that they do not reduce access to training experiences both within service (eg. supervised outpatient clinics) and within taught programmes (eg. simulation or bedside teaching) for those doctors training within structured training programmes."

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The review also order improvements at two training hospitals to address the impact of rota gaps on the ability of learners to meet their curriculum.

At University Hospital Crosshouse in Ayr, it said "service pressures could make it difficult for learners to access training, eg. attending outpatient clinics".

There were similar problems at Inverclyde Royal Hospital in Greenock where inspectors were told of "difficulties in getting consultant sign off on procedures or consultant teaching due to the consultants’ workload".

However, the report said all five medical schools in Scotland were working to improve access to the profession.

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In particular it praised Glasgow School of Medicine, where more than 20 per cent of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, for initiatives such as a summer school to boost the skills of potential students and a pre-medical school course which guarantees entry following successful examinations.

Dr Colin Melville, the GMC’s director of education and standards, said: "Medicine needs to celebrate the contribution from students from all social backgrounds and so encouraging people from under-represented groups to consider a career as a doctor is hugely important

"Scotland, like the rest of the UK, should have a diverse workforce, so it is vital that medical schools engage in ways to widen participation to medicine.

"It is excellent to see that all medical schools in Scotland are working hard to achieve this, and while there is always more than can be done to widen participation, the schools in Scotland are demonstrating their commitment to this important aim."

Professor Stewart Irvine, deputy chief executive of NHS Education for Scotland (NES), the body which oversees medical training, said: “These reports paint a very positive picture of the state of medical education and training in Scotland."

He added: “Inevitably, there were areas where the GMC felt that more work needs to be done to ensure that their standards continue to be met – and NES looks forward to working with the GMC and with partners across Scotland to ensure that the areas of good practice are shared built upon, and the areas for concern are addressed.

"We particularly welcome the GMC’s judgement that the Deanery are aware of what is happening across Scotland and have robust systems in place for identifying and managing concerns over safety or quality.”