Is this happening straight away?

No, this is a long-term project starting in 2022 that allows us to better align doctors in training with service and patient need in the future. The current expansion in undergraduates will not see those doctors entering specialty training until 2026 so this is a long-term strategy. We are very conscious of the need to ensure operational stability. For each specialty, movement will begin within a three-year period and take place over a five to eight-year period, this is called the pace of change.

The pace of change for each specialty must commence within the three-year phases: Phase A (2023-25), Phase B (2026-28) & Phase C (2029-31). An example of this is, a specialty in Phase A will commence movement in 2023 and must be complete by 2028 however, if they commence movement in 2025, it must complete the pace of change by 2030.