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So our next speaker is Doctor Matthew Clark who is an NIH, our clinical lecturer in diagnostic neuropathology at U C L H and the London Institute of Cancer Research. Doctor Clark previously chaired the RC Path Training advisory committee and is the current Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges trainee Doctors Group. Thank you. Thank you very much and good afternoon, everybody. Um It's an absolute pleasure to be here with you today and I'd like to extend my thanks to Martin and the committee for inviting me here today to talk to you about how we as a committee working to reconnect and inspire doctors in training. So we all are living through significant challenges at the moment as a result of many different factors that are impacting on our training. Um We are all and this goes across all specialties, not just in surgery, even smaller specialties like myself, where I'm one of only 13 trainees across the UK. There have been huge challenges presented to us as a result of the pandemic but also the aftermath as we enter into the post pandemic era and those, those will be continuing for several years to come. There are workforce shortages, not just in the trainee network, but across the healthcare profession that are impacting on our daily lives, the working environment, the challenges of the situation where you lack of rest areas, provision of food. These are all challenges that something we're experiencing across, across our network and compounded that by that now, we have the cost of living crisis that's impacting on our ability to afford our training with the provisions needed for cost of exams and training courses as well. There have been challenges to the recruitment process, very hot off the press at the end of last year. And also there are training inequalities that we need to think about as well depending on different locations around the country and access to different training opportunities, but also with the impact of the media and the impact of patient's perception of us and what people think we we need to work to try and improve that as well. And all this culminating in the impending junior doctor industrial Axion, which many of these challenges that I've just listed have contributed to that decision that's taking place very imminently. And we as a committee are trying to work on some of these challenges to make a difference for all of us in our working lives. Now, for those of you who may not be so familiar with us, the 80 G comprises a committee of over 60 members um from representatives across the different surgical and medical specialties with. And the value of that is that we have so many different diverse voices from across the training network all around the table. Contributing to discussion's about shared interests, we lead work to try and improve support given to trainee doctors throughout their postgraduate education. And also identify these key issues where we can actually do something and intervene to try and um improve it for both for ourselves but also for future generations as well. And one of the other important things that we have in the committee is lay representation as well because it's important to always remember the patient to this and the work that we do. It's very valuable to hear what patients' think about it and the perception of what of how it's perceived as well. So what can we actually do to help? Well, I just wanted to highlight a few publications that we've um recently issued that some of you may be interested to support your ongoing work and, and challenges as well. So we responded as a committee to the Health and Social Care committee's inquiry into retention training um and recruitment highlighting these many challenges that are currently experienced by the network. We also this led to trainees from our committee actually taking part in panel discussions from those that were actually leading this inquiry as well, making sure that the trainee voices heard subsequent to that, we also responded to Health and Social care committee inquiry, looking at the government's commitment to workforce, again, highlighting the challenges of the lack of training posts and other professional positions within the workforce and how that is impacting on our training. And also I want to draw your attention to an academy wide statement that was issued at the end of last year as well. Fixing the NHS highlighting some of the challenges across different departments but also experiences of patient's at the heart of this. And the key statement here, why we must stop normalizing the unacceptable is very applicable across the different networks we have. But we also need to keep that in mind. In terms of our training, there are many challenges that we're experiencing at the moment and we need to make sure that they don't become normalized as well. In my time, I've been in post now as chair for just over a year and a half. And the key thing about this that I found that works so effectively is the word collaboration. I do that in my research role and we do that as a committee, we've worked very hard to help improve, improve the situation with regards to training recovery and support trainings across the network with this. There are still challenges ahead of us and there will be many more to come. But we're working to try and sort this and improve this. We've heard about the proposed increase in medical student numbers that is being talked a lot about in politics at the moment. And that's a fantastic thing that we're looking forward to. But it also brings challenges and us as a committee have worked together to put together a report highlighting from the trainee perspective about what these challenges are and how we can mitigate to prevent, to really maximize the benefit benefit of this. This has been circulated within the political remit and also with our allied stakeholders as well. So ensuring that the trainee voices being heard, we've also listened to you and heard about the challenges you've experienced as a result of the implementation of exams and the challenges with the processes as well with incorrect results being issued to trainees and that paralleling in the situation with recruitment as well. And I've worked very closely. We've written to all royal colleges are requesting them to look at these uh these processes and try and ensure that we can share learning with everybody with all colleges, with all faculties to make sure that these things don't happen. One of the things we're really passionate about as well as a quality diversity and inclusion and stemming from our interest in this. From our committee. We put together a statement about encouraging the government to continue with the proposed plan to ban conversion therapy, standing up for the L G B T Q plus representatives within our workforce, but also our patient's as well. We had input from other organizations such as glad and external advice as well. And this was then taken forward to the Academy Council and has been issued now as an Academy statement in support of this ongoing project. We've also made, listened and heard about the challenges related to the Inter Dina re transfer process and some of the traumatic experiences that trainees have experience have gone through as a result of that. And we're part of we're working group now working very closely with health education England to improve this process. And there have been changes that have been put in place to the benefit of trainees. You heard about some of the challenges and you will have heard about the challenges with recruitment to the Court surgical training program at the end of last year. And myself and Martin and also voter and the other committees have worked together to put together a checklist of the things that need to be considered when making changes to the recruitment and selection processes. And this seven point checklists focusing on communication, but also timing of these changes is going to be discussed at the next MGRS meeting for consideration and approval. We've also improved our political engagement. We've had a presence at the round table discussions that have taken place at the Labor and Conservative Party conferences. And from that, we've met policy advisers who are working with the health ministers and they are listening to our perspective as well, which is really important, thinking about the future challenges. So I think working together, communicating, respecting and valuing input, share ng work streams with other committees and stakeholders are the crucial factors that have led to the implementation of these changes so far. And the ones that we need to do for the future also. So what are the changes that we have on the horizon at the moment for the work plan of the next coming year? Well, one of the big perennial issues at the moment is the cost of exams for trainees. It's been, it's been an issue for many decades, in fact, and it's now we time we need to try and support trainees with this and from the college side as well, the current models of exams and funding of them are not sustainable for the future. And so we need to work together to try and improve this. And we're currently surveying the different specialties and proposing different changes to the funding streams and looking for a model that will work to help take this forward for the future. We're also going to be working to support neuro diverse trainees and other trainees with disabilities in terms of their ability to get through the exams and assessments, but also looking at reasonable adjustments and how this process is reviewed and whether they're actually implemented to the standard expected within the exam and assessment setting. We also, as you've heard it, but there's work about the redistribution of specialty training posts and we have a doorway into that at the moment and are taking part in the web live webinars where we have trainee input. But we've also help to facilitate, to make sure that there are trainees from these different specialties involved in the working groups that are developing this work going forward. And also there are other E D I related issues that we want to tackle anti bullying and harassment. Work is a crucial thing that we need to focus on is a conversation that needs to continually have not just a period of time, a week campaign. This is something that we need to work on as a community to try and stamp out as it's one of the factors that can lead to poor retention of trainings. We also recognize that communication is one of the big challenges and one of the reasons why we have some of the frustrations with issues related to the training process. And we want to look at how the reach of our committee can it be improved to reach you and ensure that you are aware of the important work that goes on with us and make sure that you have a channel of communication into us as well. We also a big passion of ours is flexibility within training and it's fantastic to see how this is improved in recent years with the provision of out of program opportunities but also now flexible career portfolios. But there are other ways that we can continue to work for a flexible and training program. And that's what we want to prioritize for this year as well. But also to build on our existing political engagement that we've had. The trainee voice is now being listened to and we need to keep that going and keep that motivation, helping to drive future health care policy for the future. But I recognize as well that there are unknown challenges that are on the horizon for us all. And we need to have space as a committee to be able to deal with those as and when they come in and when you highlight those particular issues to us, I just wanted to say a little word about trainee leadership and the importance of valuing and recognizing all the work that you and the different committees actually do with this. There are many different forms of leadership. Um And it's important to recognize that diversity associated with it. There are significant value challenges in balancing responsibilities of the role versus clinical training as well. When I first took on this role, um about a year and a half ago, I was incredibly daunted by the experience of that. But it's uh I'm worried about whether I got enough experience about being able to make a success of it. But when I after being involved with, with it for a few months, it's the other committee members and your colleagues who work with you that have a diversity of different skills and different experience that help to drive us forward with progress. And when you come into leadership roles, you don't need all the experience because your way, working with a team that has that as a whole. And it's important to listen and recognize the skills of those people within your team and your committee. And I'm privileged to chair a committee that has such a diverse and wide level experience and skills that we can utilize to make a change with this. There are significant challenges to face and there are steep learning curves with any leadership role ahead as well. But we need to work together to overcome the divisions and recognize that division is actually an opportunity, listening to different perspectives and taking the positives out of those and valuing our differences and viewpoints because thinking about different perspectives can actually highlight where there may be challenges in the future and give us an opportunity to overcome them at an early stage. And it's hugely rewarding to be part of such a team striving for common goals and working towards a better future for us all. So what does the future hold? Well? There are changes that are desperately needed and we all know that we're working in this environment every day and can recognize that. And we need to recognize the value and importance of our NHS for our society, for everybody within, within our country. We need to think about the training perspective. And make sure that voice continues to be heard. And particularly when we're in a, we have been through significant change in political landscape and we don't know what the future will hold related to that as well. But forging new invest and investing in new relationships is going to be really key with that and that goes with it amongst us as a trainee community and for events such as this annual conference and also remembering our medical student and foundation doctor colleagues, we often forget that they are sitting watching this and from the background and we need to make sure that we are inspiring them and doing everything we can to strive for a better future for them and ensure that we have a healthy recruitment to this. So I want to say that change can and will happen. There are quick fixes that we can make, but there are also other type things that take longer. And so it will be significant challenges but they can be brought in. So we are working to reduce rates of burnout. We want to work to ensure attention of our doctors in training and think about the well being and support of those doctors may ensuring that happier that we have happier doctors in training, continue to campaign for flexibility within our medical careers and rebuild our system for the benefit of our patient's and everyone in this room and beyond has a role to play with in this work and are important leaders going forward with this. And what I want to say as well is that sometimes I'm having spoken to colleagues when come, coming to the end of particular leadership roles, they often, we often talk about what we've actually achieved and feeling that maybe we haven't. But one of the key things I want to say is that sometimes being the one that plants the seeds of change and not necessarily being able to see it through to the end. That is the key starting point. And we can all do that in our various different roles. But the key thing also I want to mention is that get in touch with us. We need to hear from you about the challenges that you're experiencing and so we can work together as a community to try and change that change that for the future. And I just want to put finally just to give you my contact details, but also the uh John Paul Matter, who is the workforce policy manager I work very closely with at the academy who supports the work of the committee. And for those of you are engaged in social media, in particular Twitter, there's my personal account, but also the account of the trainee doctors group as well. I want to share with you. So please follow us where you can get updates about our continual work. And just finally, a big thank you to Martin and the members of the committee. They have put a huge amount of time and effort in supporting all of the projects that I've told you about. There have been many late night conversations, long conversations, email conversations, and contributions, significant contributions to the various different reports that we've been involved in and it's communication and help and support like that. That really helps to make a difference for the future. Thank you very much for listening. Thank you very much, Doctor Clark for that update. It's truly challenging times and I think it's only true continued collaboration between 80 D G and training groups like asset and others nationally that we can really advocate for trainees, listen to their voices and institute change.