High quality, efficient and cost-effective training is crucial for the UK National Health Service. Postgraduate medical training has traditionally followed the apprenticeship model, but drawbacks include a lack of national consistency of training standards, and time, capacity and support constraints. In 2007, the Department of Health therefore established the e-Learning for Healthcare programme to develop e-learning resources to underpin future postgraduate training in the UK (www.e-lfh.org.uk).