Overview
The Physician Specialty Recruitment Office (PSRO) have coordinated recruitment to physician higher specialty training since 2010 .
The PSRO started life in 2008 based at the Royal College of Physicians and transferred to Health Education England, working on behalf of the four nations, in November 2018. Since July 2023, the PSRO is based within NHS England.
After designing and implementing a nationally-coordinated recruitment system for CT1-level posts, the success of this project led to a similarly-coordinated pilot for higher medicine specialties in 2010 for five specialties: cardiology, endocrinology and diabetes, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine and renal medicine.
The process was intended to be fair, effective, strong, robust, transparent and efficient.
We believe that this has been achieved and the process receives very positive feedback each year from all stakeholders – candidates, clinicians and the four nations.
This has since grown to include over 20 higher medicine specialties for recruitment into all posts across England, Scotland and Wales, with Northern Ireland participating in PSRO-coordinated recruitment in the specialties of clinical genetics, medical oncology and palliative medicine.
We work in partnership with the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB), on behalf of the three UK physicians colleges, to provide governance and intend to continue working to deliver a high-quality and robust recruitment process in future years, providing an excellent service to all stakeholders and helping to improve patient care by ensuring the standards required of new trainees.
Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board
The Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) improves patient care by setting and maintaining standards for the highest quality of physician training in the UK on behalf of the Royal College of Physicians of London, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
This is achieved through excellence in curriculum design and implementation, and the recruitment and certification of trainees, while supporting the GMC in quality management. The JRCPTB aim to provide excellent service and support to stakeholders and aspire to the highest standards in physician training.
For more information please visit the JRCPTB website.