What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary of made of the average resident doctor study budget in Wales compared with that available in England?
Currently, the budget allocated to individual resident doctors per year is £600. However, as detailed in the study leave policy, residents are able to roll over any unspent funding for a one-year period into the following year. This system aims to provide flexibility and ensure that resident doctors can effectively utilise their study leave budget.
In 2024, a task and finish group was set up, comprising representatives from the BMA, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, Welsh Government, NHS Wales Employers, and Health Education and Improvement Wales, to review the study leave model in Wales.
This work contributed to an agreed framework, which was part of the resident doctor contract negotiations in Wales. The changes to the study leave reforms include improved accessibility and an increase in annual cap to £1,000, with annual adjustments for inflation.