• The General Medical Council has published a report on the results of the 2019 national training surveys.
• The survey of 75,000 doctors finds that trainees continue to highly rate the quality of their clinical supervision, experience and the teaching they receive.
• There are also some positive signs that fewer trainees are working beyond their rostered hours but the findings also highlight a range of issues affecting doctors’ wellbeing.  

Responding to the report published by the General Medical Council on the results of their national training surveys, the deputy chief executive at NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

“This survey suggests we are seeing some progress towards more manageable workloads for trainers and trainees, with the proportion working beyond their rostered hours every day halving. This is particularly welcome given the ongoing workforce pressures with the NHS facing 100,000 vacancies.

We know that workload is the primary cause of stress at work. However trusts have been innovating to ensure that staff are given a break, and to improve staff wellbeing overall.

Saffron Cordery    Deputy Chief Executive

“But it is disheartening to see that almost half are working over time on a weekly basis and a third of trainee doctors do not know who to approach at work when it comes to their own health. We know that workload is the primary cause of stress at work. However trusts have been innovating to ensure that staff are given a break, and to improve staff wellbeing overall.

“Clearly there is more to do. It is important that we see action at a local and national level. Last month, we welcomed the interim NHS people plan which aims to fix the workforce crisis by getting the sector behind a single, clear approach. We welcomed its ambition to make the NHS a great place to work, to change its leadership culture and to train a workforce for the future.

It is now time to invest in NHS education and to address training budgets in the forthcoming spending review so that the ambitions in the NHS long term plan can be realised.

Saffron Cordery    Deputy Chief Executive

“It is now time to invest in NHS education and to address training budgets in the forthcoming spending review so that the ambitions in the NHS long term plan can be realised. Ultimately we need to look after NHS staff to look after NHS patients.”