We call for immediate action to address what we see as a catastrophic failure in postgraduate medical workforce planning, which has left many doctors unable to access training.

Despite severe doctor shortages in the NHS, the number of training posts has not increased to reflect the increasing number of applicants. As a result, many doctors are being forced into unemployment or non-training roles, wasting not only their skills but also taxpayers’ money spent on their education and training. We think this is an inexcusable failure of workforce planning that the public cannot afford.