A Generational Shift in How We Work, Rest and Care 

There are conversations I’ve had many times over the years with resident doctors, senior clinicians and workforce teams that tend to start in different places but arrive at the same point. 

They’re about rotas. About unpredictability. About trying to plan life outside work and finding it harder than it should be. 

Often, they’re not framed as complaints. They’re simply observations, a quiet acceptance veering into weary resignation that this is how things are. Medicine is demanding. The NHS is under pressure. Everyone is doing their best. 

But more recently, those conversations have begun to shift. 

There’s a growing sense that while the work will always be challenging, the way we organise it doesn’t have to make life harder than necessary. That it’s reasonable to expect fairness, transparency and the ability to rest properly, not as perks, but as foundations for safe care. 

That’s why the NHS England 10-Point Plan to Improve Resident Doctors’ Working Lives feels significant. It reflects an acknowledgement that the experience of work matters, not only to doctors themselves, but to patients and organisations too. 

At RLDatix, we see this as the beginning of a generational shift in how we think about work, rest and care. 

Beyond “Getting the Rota out” 

For a long time, success in workforce planning has often been measured by whether services are covered. And coverage matters, it always will. 

But coverage alone doesn’t tell us whether the system is working well for the people within it. 

It doesn’t reflect what it feels like to receive a rota late, to struggle to take leave fairly, or to constantly hold life plans loosely because work may change at short notice. It doesn’t capture the cumulative effect of uncertainty or the impact that has on wellbeing, morale and ultimately patient care. 

The 10-Point Plan begins to address this by focusing on areas that doctors consistently tell us matter: predictable rotas, accurate pay, clear communication, the ability to raise concerns, and meaningful support for wellbeing. 

These aren’t abstract concepts. They are practical, day-to-day factors that shape how doctors experience their working lives. 

Work. Rest. Care.

As a clinician, this feels like a useful way to think about what good looks like. 

Work should be organised in a way that is fair and transparent with clarity about where and when you’re needed, and confidence that the basics are done well. 

Rest should be protected, not incidental. It should be possible to recover properly, to plan life outside work, and to switch off without anxiety or guilt. 

And care depends on both. Doctors who are supported as people are better able to care for patients, colleagues and themselves. 

This isn’t about reducing commitment or lowering standards. It’s about recognising that sustainable care depends on sustainable working lives. 

Turning Intention into reality

National guidance sets an important direction, but real change happens locally in the systems, processes and conversations that shape everyday experience. 

Many Trusts want to improve resident doctor working lives but face a familiar challenge: how to translate intention into action without adding more complexity or burden. 

That’s where I believe the focus needs to be practical. Small, achievable improvements done consistently can make a meaningful difference. Better visibility of rotas. Clearer processes for leave and exception reporting. Communication that supports collaboration without eroding boundaries. 

The Generational Shift, is about supporting that journey. Sharing learning, highlighting what’s working, and helping organisations understand where they are today and where they might go next. 

It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about creating space for progress. 

A More Human Perspective on Workforce Systems 

Technology has an important role to play but only when it supports the experience we’re trying to create. 

At its best, workforce technology reduces friction. It brings clarity where there is uncertainty, transparency where there is confusion, and confidence where there is frustration. It should make it easier for doctors to see where they’re working, communicate effectively, and trust that the system supports them rather than works against them. 

But the goal is never the technology itself. 

The goal is a working environment that recognises resident doctors as professionals and as people with lives, families and interests beyond the hospital. 

That’s why this campaign deliberately reflects life outside work as much as life within it. Because the impact of workforce design is often felt most strongly there. 

An Invitation to Be Part of the Shift 

We want this to be an invitation to reflect, to share, and to learn together. 

Over the coming months, we’ll be bringing together clinicians, workforce teams and leaders through resources, conversations and a growing Community of Practice focused on improving resident doctor experience in meaningful, practical ways. 

A generational shift doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen when we start to look at familiar challenges through a different lens one that values fairness, balance and humanity alongside service delivery. 

I believe this is the direction we need to move in. And I’m looking forward to being part of that journey. 

By Darren Kilroy, Medical Director, RLDatix