Foundation doctors regularly rotate through different specialties as part of their training. Inductions to these new placements can vary in delivery and effectiveness. High quality induction is a recommendation of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for safe trainee changeover.

Aim To improve the induction process for Foundation Year 2 doctors (FY2s) in community placements at Epsom and St Helier Trust.

A survey of 10 questions, devised from the British Medical Association guidance on adequate induction, was circulated to FY2 doctors(n=10) in community placements (GP and Psychiatry) between 4th August - 4th December 2019. Induction booklets individualised to each placement were created by outgoing FY2s, then circulated to the incoming FY2 prior to rotation.

This aimed to enhance induction allowing for standardised peer to peer handover alongside local induction. Effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by repeating the initial survey during the second rotation December 2019-April 2020(n=8).

Good engagement with the intervention resulted in creation of 8 individualised ‘induction booklets’ with mixed effectiveness. An improvement in preparedness was demonstrated for psychiatry placements but limited improvement in preparedness in GP placements. For psychiatry placements, improvements were demonstrated in trainees’ awareness of supervisor contact details, timetables and annual leave arrangements. In all placements, gaps remained in confidence in IT and referral processes.

Induction booklets were effective in improving induction in community placements. However, its dependence on successful delivery of face to face local induction is significantly variable between placements. Limitations included small sample size, pause of rotation due to COVID-19 preventing a third cycle of audit and trainees engagement with induction booklets. Further improvements to include standardisation of local induction by developing a checklist of induction information.