by Dr Ashley McKimm

This week sees the launch of a new BMJ website to help empower junior doctors to improve the care their patients receive. It recognises that junior doctors often gain a unique insight into healthcare problems and their solutions whilst working on the frontline.

The website, agentsforchange.bmj.com, was launched to support the two ‘Agents for Change’ conferences running this year and hopes to give juniors the tools they need to get their clinical improvement ideas heard.

Earlier this year junior doctors in England were challenged to submit worked templates of how they could improve patient safety. Over 80 submissions were received and the best were presented in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style event at the ‘Agents for Change’ July patient safety conference in London.

Videos of the pitches, posters and presentations are now available online. It aims to showcase how some junior doctors have created safety improvements in their workplace – often out-innovating the experts – and hopes to encourage others to follow.

Over the summer we’ll be launching a new collaborative forum to allow junior doctors to share their advice, as well as a categorised directory of clinical improvement projects. We’ll be encouraging juniors to use the site for support and to publish their successes online.

On the ‘Agents for Change’ website you’ll also find video presentations and blogs from healthcare experts including Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Professor James Reason and Professor Chris Ham.

The next conference takes place at The King’s Fund on Wednesday 10 November. We’re inviting a junior doctor and senior manager from each NHS organisation to join us as we improve how we collaborate for quality care.

For junior doctors this is an opportunity to understand the structure of healthcare, learn how to develop a business case, and find out how to ensure your ideas get noticed. To register your interest in attending visit the ‘Events’ section at agentsforchange.bmj.com.

‘Agents for Change’ is developed by junior doctors and supported by the BMJ, Department of Health, King’s Fund, NPSA and NHS Confederation.