1. Purpose

This guidance for NHS trusts sets out the responsibilities and expectations of the senior lead for resident doctor experience (SLRDE) and provides a sample role specification to assist in appointing to the role.

2. Context

The 75,000 resident doctors working across the NHS are the backbone of the service, but too often they are let down on basic issues. While some progress has been made, it has been too slow, and many still face unfair and inconsistent working conditions.

Supported by our commitment to staff under the recently published 10 Year Health Plan for England, NHS England has set out 10 ways in which we are improving resident doctors’ working conditions.

The SLRDE is a key role in delivering this agenda, working at board level to ensure feedback from resident doctors is gathered, shared and acted on to ensure improvements are being felt on the frontline.

3. Reporting lines and accountability

• Primary reporting: trust chief executive officer
• Governance oversight: trust board (via workforce committee or equivalent governance structure)

This is not a standalone role – it is an additional responsibility for a senior leader who has direct access to the trust board.

Typically, but not exclusively, this responsibility will sit with the chief people officer or chief medical officer or another executive level role.

Although this role should be held by an executive level representative, this individual should work closely with other colleagues such as directors of medical education.

The role is critical to ensuring board-level accountability for improving the working lives of resident doctors in line with national priorities.

4. Resident doctors 10 Point Plan – specific actions

The SLRDE will coordinate the trust’s approach to the 10 Point Plan, ensuring compliance and measurable and timely progress in the following areas:

• workplace wellbeing
• rota transparency
• leave management
• payroll accuracy
• mandatory training duplication
• expense reimbursement

5. Sample role specification

Senior lead for resident doctor experience

The senior lead for resident doctor experience (SLRDE) will play a pivotal role in ensuring the trust delivers on national priorities to improve the working lives of resident doctors. This role ensures resident doctors’ voices are heard at the highest level and the organisation maintains strong, transparent and accountable systems to support them throughout their training.

Key responsibilities

Leadership and oversight

• lead the trust’s strategic and operational response to national directives, specifically progress towards targets set out in the 10 Point Plan to improve resident doctors’ working lives
• embed improvement initiatives that are aligned with trust objectives into workforce strategies, supported by best practice
• act as the primary point of accountability for resident doctor experience, ensuring that progress is visible and measurable

Board-level visibility and accountability

• report regularly to the board highlighting progress, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• embed regular reporting mechanisms into Board and workforce committee agendas
• champion the resident doctor experience as a strategic priority, ensuring it is considered in all relevant decision-making processes

Meaningful engagement

• establish and facilitate regular engagement and feedback mechanisms to identify and act on resident doctors’ concerns in a timely and effective way
• work in partnership with a resident doctor peer representative to co-design solutions and provide authentic feedback to the board
• ensure that engagement is inclusive and transparent, and leads to tangible outcomes, building trust and demonstrating that feedback drives change
• promote a culture where resident doctors feel valued, supported and empowered to contribute to service improvement

Monitoring, reporting and assurance

• develop and implement monitoring frameworks to track progress against national and local commitments.
• use data-driven insights (for example, survey results, payroll accuracy metrics, rota compliance) to inform decision-making and identify areas for improvement
• provide quarterly assurance reports to the board and relevant governance bodies
• ensure compliance against the NHS Oversight Framework
• ensure that progress made against the 10 Point Plan is fully assessed against a Business Assurance Framework and reported as part of the trust’s annual reports