The Oxford Handbook for the Foundation Programme returns in its 5th edition, offering essential information and support for junior doctors, their supervisors, and senior medical students. This comprehensive resource is designed to keep readers up-to-date with the latest guidelines, the new junior doctors’ contract, and the most recent curriculum of the Foundation Programme, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence needed to excel both during and beyond this critical period in their career.

The handbook has been fully revised to include new sections that demystify the NHS structure and explore key changes in social care and its interface with healthcare systems. It also features revisions on crucial topics such as the medical certificate of the cause of death, the role of the medical examiner, and updates on interactions with the coroner. A new standalone chapter dedicated to Psychiatry provides valuable insights into this specialized area.

As a junior doctor’s pocket mentor, this handbook distills knowledge from four authors across various NHS environments, presenting information in an easily accessible format. It covers practical guidance at the patient’s bedside as well as aspects of adapting to day-to-day life as a junior doctor—topics often not fully addressed during medical school.

With its indispensable survival guide for the Foundation Programme, this handbook ensures that readers are never alone on the wards, providing them with the tools and information needed to navigate their professional journey successfully.