UK NHS Foundation Programme
Dy Director, Centre for Digital Resources, Education and Medical Informatics, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University)
25,000+ healthcare trainees using ePortfolios as the national standard for specialty training since 2005.
Institution Profile
- Country: United Kingdom
- Programme: NHS Foundation Programme and specialty training
- Scale: 25,000+ healthcare trainees
- Since: 2005
Challenge
The UK needed a standardised system for tracking trainee progress across Foundation Programme and specialty training, including workplace-based assessments (mini-CEX, CbD), annual appraisals, and ARCP outcomes.
Implementation
ePortfolios became the national standard for NHS medical training in 2005. The system tracks all workplace-based assessments, serves as the basis for Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP), and has been described as the “spinal column” of specialty training.
Results
- 25,000+ trainees actively using the system
- National standard for over 20 years
- Covers WBAs (mini-CEX, CbD), appraisals, and ARCP outcomes
- Described as the “spinal column” of specialty training
Lessons Learned
- National-scale ePortfolio is proven — the UK has run this for two decades
- ePortfolios as infrastructure — they become the backbone of the training system, not just an add-on
- Regulatory integration is key — when the portfolio is linked to progression decisions (ARCP), adoption is universal
References
NHS ePortfolios. https://www.nhseportfolios.org/Anon/AboutUs
Dy Director, Centre for Digital Resources, Education and Medical Informatics, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University)
Published 30 March 2026