BGS: Workforce

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British Geriatrics Society
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Workforce

The workforce of health and care professionals involved in improving and delivering care to older people encompasses a wide range of disciplines, training and careers. This section brings together important information about this uniquely skilled and varied workforce.

BGS Professional Groups

Nurses and AHPs Council

The BGS Nurses and Allied Health Professions (NAHPs) Council is a forum for the engagement and participation of Nurses and AHPs in the Society’s mission to improve healthcare for older people. The Council is committed to raising the voice of the individuals and the professions it represents.
Nurses are an essential element in older people's care

Trainees Council

Our Trainees group represent the ideas and opinions of trainees within the BGS. We provide a forum for the discussion of issues relevant to the trainees; engage with students and junior doctors interested in pursuing geriatric medicine as their specialty and encourage the effective training of future geriatricians.
Resident and SAS Doctors discussing

Rehabilitation Group

The BGS Rehabilitation Group is a task and finish group assembled to address the issues surrounding rehabilitation and loss of function as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Person receiving rehabilitation

SAS Grade Members

Specialty and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors are senior physicians with at least four years' postgraduate training, including two or more within the specialty.
Smiling Early Career Stage Medic

Latest news

Recent news and reports from the BGS on workforce-related issues.

09
Feb
2024

BGS report finds that short-staffing negatively affects…

The BGS has published a new report 'The state of the older people’s healthcare workforce'. The findings in this report were gathered following analysis of a survey of the BGS membership.
30
Jun
2023

BGS responds to NHS Long Term Workforce Plan

Today, 30 June 2023, the much anticipated NHS Long Term Workforce Plan was published. This plan sets out how the NHS will address existing vacancies and meet the challenge of rising demand for…

24
May
2023

More geriatricians needed to meet the needs of the UK’s…

The BGS today launches a new report, ‘The case for more geriatricians: Strengthening the workforce to care for an ageing population’. Geriatricians are specialists in healthcare for older people…

01
Sep
2022

BGS publishes new report examining workforce data

The BGS has published a report examining data collected by the RCP on the consultant and Higher Specialty Trainee geriatric medicine workforce.
Education, Training and Careers
Workforce
28
Feb
2021

‘Through the visor’ – new report reflecting on…

The BGS has published a report from a survey of its members describing the experiences of working through the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. With respondents representing over twenty different…

COVID-19
22
Jul
2021

‘Through the visor 2’ – second report highlights continuing…

Today the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) published a report from a second survey of its members describing their experiences of working through the COVID-19 pandemic during winter 2020-21 and beyond…

02
Mar
2022

BGS welcomes RCP call for action against ‘crisis in care’…

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has warned that an ‘avoidable crisis of care’ is looming for older people owing to a combination of staffing shortages and an ageing population.

Working with older people

This section brings together information about begininning or progressing a career in geriatric medicine or as part of the multidisciplinary team working with older people.

Members only
15
Jun
2022
Newsletters
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AGENDA: Issue 85 | MDT

This issue focuses on the secret weapon when it comes to caring for older people - our superhero multidisciplinary team!
22
May
2018
Fact sheet
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A Career in Geriatric Medicine

Providing healthcare to older adults is often extremely challenging. Patients often have multiple long-term conditions, and present to healthcare in atypical ways.
Early Career Doctor Smiling
06
Jul
2020

Working across organisational boundaries to improve care of older people

Earlier this year health and social care organisations across Newcastle upon Tyne (Collaborative Newcastle) were focused on how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
29
Apr
2020

The challenges of working with older people with COVID-19

Workforce data

This section looks at some of the workforce data produced by the BGS and other bodies.

01
Sep
2022
Report
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The geriatric medicine workforce 2022

This report looks at data collected by the Royal College of Physicians on the consultant workforce.
29
Nov
2018
Fact sheet
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BGS workforce data: background

A brief background to the workforce data published by BGS.
29
Nov
2018
Fact sheet
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BGS workforce data: 2016 summary

A summary of the BGS workforce data findings from 2016.
29
Nov
2018
Report
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BGS workforce data: 2017 summary

A summary of the BGS workforce data findings from 2017. 

General workforce

Below are some useful general links from external organisations.

  • Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow workforce statement
    While the number of consultant posts in NHS Scotland has increased by about 15 percent in the past 5 years, these posts remain unfilled due to a shortage of doctors. This report evaluates the current situation, what processes and policies are already in place, and what changes are required to effectively join up the various career stages in the working life of health professionals.
     

  • Health Education England workforce strategy
    Facing the Facts, Shaping the Future – a draft health and care workforce strategy for England to 2027 condenses and considers the outputs of major workforce plans for the priorities laid out in the Five Year Forward View – cancer, mental health, maternity, primary and community care and urgent and emergency care.

Consultants

Workforce information from external or joint sources focusing on the consultant workforce.

  • Royal College of Physicians (RCP) consultant census
    Focus on Physicians 2018-19 is the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow’s most recent census on the consultant physician and higher specialty trainee workforce in the UK.
     
  • Royal College of Physicians (RCP) safe staffing

    The RCP London's Guidance on safe medical staffing working party report aims to help those planning and organising core hospital medical services to answer the question: ‘How many doctors or their alternatives, with what capabilities, do we need to provide safe, timely and effective care for patients with medical problems?

 

Speciality Registrars (StRs)

Information for StRs on starting on a career in geriatrics.