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2. The 2019 survey for trainers

3. The survey for trainers
The survey is your opportunity to help improve the quality of postgraduate and foundation training across the UK.
We regularly speak to trainers and the professional bodies that represent them to understand better what we can do to encourage more trainers to take part.
Where appropriate, we use this feedback to make amendments to the survey to gain the fullest possible picture of the issues that affect you.
By taking part, you’ll help protect the quality of training and the support you receive for your role as a trainer. 3

4. Responding to your feedback
Following a successful pilot of new questions on burnout in 2018, this year’s survey will ask these optional questions again. This year, we’ll also report the findings in the online reporting tool.
Based on discussions and feedback over the past year a new set of questions on rest facilities have been introduced to the survey. These will help us understand further the factors that affect the training environment, as well as the health and wellbeing of doctors.
Questions on Working Less than Full time will be asked of all trainers for the first time this year. This will help us understand the prevalence of, and reasons for, choosing to work Less Than Full Time for a greater number of doctors.
We have added two new questions to the trainer survey on contract type and additional roles and responsibilities undertaken. This will increase our knowledge of who is taking on approved trainer roles and understand the wider factors that may affect time for training. 4

5. Why the survey matters 5

6. Your views matter
As postgraduate educational or clinical supervisors, you have a unique perspective on the training environment.
Your survey response helps us, and the GMC, to check that you receive the support you need, and can identify any barriers that might impact upon the quality of training you’re able to offer.
The survey also gives you the opportunity to share any concerns, particularly about the quality of education and protection of training resources.
You can find detailed case studies of how survey results have influenced improvements at training-surveys. 6

7. How results from this survey are used
The survey is not used to assess your individual performance as an educator.
The survey helps to:
identify examples of good practice and areas for improvement
better understand how well you feel you are supported in your role as an educator
identify any barriers which might impact upon the quality of training you’re able to offer. 7

8. How results from this survey are used
Optional
Following the feedback you shared with us last year we have…
[include details here of actions which your deanery has taken following last year’s results] 8

9. Survey content 9

10. What the survey asks you
It should take between minutes
All questions are multiple choice
Opening section A few questions about the trainee(s) you act as named supervisor for
Main questionnaire Questions on your experience as a trainer
Closing section Questions on any other training responsibilities you may have 10

11. Indicators
Questions are based around distinct themes, or, ‘indicators’, which are as follows:
Supportive environment
Work load
Support for trainers
Overall satisfaction
Curriculum coverage
Burnout
Time for training
Additional question areas (not indicators in the reporting tool)
Resources for trainers
Working Less Than Full Time
Trainer development
Undergraduate teaching responsibilities
Rota design
Educational governance
Handover
Several questions contribute to each indicator, which is then reported in our online reporting tool. 11

12. Confidentiality 12

13. Confidentiality
Your answers to multi-choice questions on training are confidential.
Demographic information you provide in section one of the questionnaire about your current role (such as your specialty, number of trainees, trust or board in which you’re based) may be shared with your deanery/HEE local team to ensure their records are up-to-date.
All other responses you provide will only be published in the NTS reporting tool on the GMC website in an aggregated format.
For more information about this, please read the confidentiality page at 13

14. How to take part 14

15. Who takes part
If you hold a named educator post, you should complete the survey.
This includes:
Named clinical supervisors
Named educational supervisors
Those who undertake both named clinical and educational supervision roles 15

16. How to take part Don’t wait for an invitation.
Log on to GMC Online after 19 March 2019.
Your survey will be waiting for you to complete – if it is not there, contact your deanery or the GMC survey team at
The GMC and your deanery will send you reminder s and may send you text messages during the survey period.
You must complete your survey by midday on 1 May 2019. 16

17. Activating GMC Online
If you haven’t used GMC Online before, you’ll need to share some information to activate your account when you first log in.
This is always a check of information that the GMC already hold to confirm who you are. If you pay, or have paid, your annual retention fee by direct debit, you may be asked to confirm your bank account details. This is purely to check your identity and no payment will be taken.
If you would prefer to activate your GMC Online account over the phone, the GMC number is
Once you’ve activated your account, your survey will be waiting for you.

18. Completion code
On completion of the survey, you will be ed a unique code.
You can use this for recognition or appraisal purposes as evidence of your commitment to taking part in systems of quality assurance and quality improvement to promote patient safety.
Any time after the survey, you’ll be able to log back into GMC Online and look up your code in the My Surveys tab. 18

19. Key dates ASAP: Ensure you have access to your GMC Online account
19 March 2019: The launch date for the survey
19 March – 1 May 2019: Log on to GMC Online to take part
1 May 2019: Survey closes
Summer 2019: Survey results published in the NTS online reporting tool
Autumn 2019: Key findings report of analysis of 2018 results published by GMC 19

20. Further information
The national training surveys are developed and delivered in collaboration with local postgraduate deans and medical royal colleges and faculties.
For additional information please visit the surveys website:
If you have any comments or queries please contact: 20