Enhancing the Role and Recognition of SAS Doctors in ELFT

A dedicated team of Specialist, Associate Specialist, and Specialty (SAS) Doctors have started a project to address a pressing equity issue around their treatment and recognition. This initiative seeks to empower SAS Doctors, contributing to reshape the healthcare landscape and improve patient care. 

The Equity Issue: 

The central issue that the ELFT team is tackling revolves around ensuring that SAS Doctors receive the recognition they rightfully deserve, building a culture of lifelong learning and development, where SAS Doctors have equal opportunities for growth based on their skills and dedication, based on principles of fairness and inclusivity. 

What They’ve Done So Far: 

A project team has started to be established, and are now identifying significant steps to initiate positive change, including: 

• Conducting surveys to understand SAS Doctors’ experiences and well-being. 
• Considering how to Increase SAS Doctors’ retention rates within the Trust. 
• Addressing discriminatory practices and fostering an inclusive organizational culture. 
• Creating fair opportunities for SAS Doctors’ progression based on competencies. 
• Opening positions like educational supervisors and clinical leads to SAS Doctors based on merit. 
• Ensuring SAS Doctors have a voice in management committees and decision-making processes. 
• Seeking representation of SAS Doctors in all interview panels. 

What’s Next: 

This Project is now being taken to the Improvement Leaders Programme (ILP) by the Project Lead Vimmy Venugopal, who is also an SAS Doctor herself. Over a 5-month period of practical learning, the ILP will support Vimmy and the team to refine their aims, use Driver Diagrams to understand their system and prioritise change ideas, measure data for improvement, test changes using Plan Do Study Act (PDSA), and introduce them to many other concepts and tools that the team can use throughout the project’s lifecycle. 

Vimmy is committed to continuing their journey toward creating a healthcare environment where SAS Doctors are respected, empowered, and recognized for their contributions. She mentions that [this project] has the potential to create a ripple effect in terms of recruitment and retention in general, as the word spreads. For the same reason, investing in SAS doctors training and upskilling is an investment that will pay dividends to the Trust and the population we serve.