Doctor’s Assistant roles in Kent, Surrey and Sussex

A project supported by Health Education England’s Kent, Surrey and Sussex team has been shortlisted for a BMJ award.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust’s Doctor’s Assistant project was established with the aim of reducing the time spent on administration tasks by junior doctors. HEE’s Kent, Surrey and Sussex team funded this workforce development project after the pilot programme, developed by University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust, was shown to have a positive impact on patient care.

The doctor’s assistant role is a hybrid role, combined of administrative tasks and basic clinical duties, and can be undertaken by people with both clinical or non clinical backgrounds. Reducing the time doctor’s spend on administrative tasks results in more time spent on patient care, as well as improved consistency with medical notes.

As well as the pilot in East Sussex Healthcare Trust, the project has been rolled out across three other acute trusts in the region – Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, and Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. The winners of the BMJ Awards will be announce in May. For more information on the programme, contact Eileen Sanderson, Senior Programme Manager for Emergency Care.