Geriatric medicine workforce planning: a giant geriatric problem or has the tide turned?

The UK's population is ageing and an adequately staffed geriatric medicine workforce is essential for high quality care. We evaluated the current and future geriatric medicine workforce, drawing on data relating to the UK population, current geriatric medicine consultants and trainees, recruitment into the specialty and trainee career progression. Data were derived from various sources, including the British Geriatrics Society Education and Training Committee biannual survey of training posts. The demographic of consultant geriatricians is changing and so too are their job plans, with more opting to work less than full time. The number of applicants to geriatric medicine training is increasing, yet increasing numbers of posts remain unfilled (4.7% in November 2010 and 14.1% in May 2013). The majority of geriatric medicine trainees secure a substantive consultant post within 6 months of obtaining their certificate of completion of training This work highlights challenges for the future: potential barriers to trainee recruitment, unfilled training posts and an ageing population and workforce.