What Do Resident (Formerly Junior) Doctors Do?

What Do Resident (Formerly Junior) Doctors Do?

The term “junior doctor” is increasingly being replaced by “resident doctor” to better reflect the high level of responsibility and clinical expertise these professionals possess.

Despite the old “junior” label, these doctors are the backbone of the NHS, making up nearly half of the medical workforce in UK hospitals.

In England alone, there are over 50,000 resident doctors. The title is broad, encompassing everyone from those in their first week after medical school to highly experienced clinicians with over a decade of practice who are months away from becoming consultants. Because the experience gap is so wide, their day-to-day responsibilities vary significantly.

Foundation Doctors and SHOs (The First 5 Years Post-Qualification)

Often referred to as F1s, F2s, or SHOs (Senior House Officers), these doctors are the “engine room” of the hospital ward. Their primary focus is the immediate, day-to-day management of patients.

Their core responsibilities include:

• Clinical Assessment & ‘Clerking’: Admitting new patients by taking detailed medical histories, performing physical examinations, and formulating initial treatment plans.

• Ward Round Management: Accompanying senior consultants, documenting every decision in the Electronic Patient Record (EPR), and ensuring “senior orders” are executed.

• Diagnostic Coordination: Requesting blood tests, ECGs, and imaging (X-rays, CT scans), then “chasing” and interpreting these results to update the care plan.

• Procedural Tasks: Performing essential clinical skills such as IV cannulation, blood sampling (venepuncture), and urinary catheter insertion.

• Communication Hub: Acting as the primary point of contact for worried relatives, answering nursing queries, and making formal referrals to specialist departments (e.g., Cardiology or Physio).

• Safe Discharge: Writing comprehensive discharge summaries to ensure GPs know exactly what happened during a patient’s hospital stay and what medications they need to continue at home.

Specialty Registrars (Doctors in Advanced Training)

Once a doctor has roughly five years of experience, they typically become a Registrar. Though technically still “residents” until they reach consultant level, these are senior clinicians who act as the consultant’s deputy and often lead medical teams.

Their role is a blend of leadership and advanced clinical practice:

• Acute Admissions Leadership: Registrars often lead the “take” in A&E or the Medical/Surgical Admissions Units (MAU/SAU), reviewing the most critically unwell patients flagged by the SHOs.

• Specialized Ward Rounds: They lead their own ward rounds, making complex decisions for patients with deteriorating conditions or those recovering from major surgery.

• Operating Theatres & Clinics: In surgical branches, registrars perform complex operations (often with a consultant nearby). In medical branches, they run outpatient clinics, managing long-term chronic conditions.

• The “Advice Line”: Registrars handle phone consultations from GPs who are seeking specialist advice on whether a patient needs to be admitted to the hospital.

• Mentorship: They are responsible for the clinical supervision and teaching of medical students and more junior residents.

GP Registrars: Residents in Primary Care

Not all resident doctors work in hospitals. GP Registrars are fully qualified doctors undergoing their final years of specialist training to become General Practitioners. When you book an appointment at your local surgery, you may see a GP Registrar; they provide the same high-standard care as a partner, but with the support of a senior GP supervisor for complex cases.

Why the Name Change Matters

Moving away from “junior” to “resident” or “doctor in training” acknowledges that these professionals are not “students.” They are registered medical practitioners who perform life-saving surgery, prescribe complex medications, and manage cardiac arrests.

Whether they are at the bedside performing a blood test or in the theatre performing a laparoscopy, resident doctors are the essential thread that holds the healthcare system together.