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Discrimination affects ‘worrying number of trainee doctors’, GMC survey reveals
Micro-aggressions, negative comments and stereotyping are just some of the workplace issues affecting trainee doctors, a report by the General Medical Council (GMC) has revealed. The regulator’s annual national training survey
was completed by more than 70,000 doctors across the UK who are either in training or act as trainers. It included questions on discrimination for the first time this year, uncovering worrying insights into the experiences of trainees. The new questions posed to trainees covered topics such as unfair treatment, stereotyping and confidence in reporting discriminatory or unprofessional behaviours. Answers related to their experiences with colleagues or fellow healthcare professionals, rather than with patients or relatives. Though most doctors in training said they work in supportive environments, more than a quarter (27%) said they’ve experienced micro-aggressions, negative comments, or oppressive body language from colleagues. Poor behaviours are more prevalent in some specialties, with instances rising to a third for those working in obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency medicine, and surgery. More than one in ten trainee doctors reported
they had felt ‘intentionally humiliated’ in front of others. The questions highlighted a particularly negative experience for those in their two-year long Foundation Programme – doctors who have completed medical school and entered their first paid clinical work while training. One in five (22%) of foundation trainees said they’d been blamed for something they didn’t do in their current post, compared to one out of ten (10%) on specialty or core programmes. More than a quarter (28%) of trainees said they
had heard insults, stereotyping or jokes relating to their or another person’s protected characteristics in their post. This number rose to 38% for
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foundation trainees. The results highlighted that many feel uncomfortable speaking up. Only six out of ten (60%) said they would feel confident about reporting discrimination without fear of adverse consequences. Despite these experiences, eight out of ten (83%) trainees said they had a good or very good experience in their post. Over three quarters (77%) said that staff, including fellow doctors-in- training, always treat each other with respect. Training also remains to be of a high quality, with almost three quarters (74%) of all trainees rating the quality of their teaching as either good or very good. Professor Colin Melville, the GMC’s medical
director and director of education and standards, said: “Though it’s encouraging to see the majority of trainees report supportive workplaces, there are worrying findings which suggest doctors early in their careers are having a much more negative
experience. Discrimination doesn’t just affect individuals, it impacts teamwork, communication and potentially patient safety. We know many organisations are already acting to address these important issues, but these findings should make clear to all healthcare professionals how poor behaviour adversely impacts others. It’s essential we create and encourage cultures where those who witness or experience discrimination are supported to speak up.” Nine out of ten trainers (89%) said they enjoy
their role in developing doctors, however, systemic pressures mean some struggle to use allocated time specifically for that purpose. A third (33%) of secondary care trainers and a quarter (24%) of GP trainers reported difficulty in balancing responsibilities. More than half (52%) of trainers are measured to be at high or moderate risk of burnout. Download the report at:
https://tinyurl.com/b4vff68x
Newborns at risk as mums kept in the dark about infection However, most high-income countries
New and expectant UK parents are not receiving vital information about a life-threatening neonatal infection, new data from Savanta reveals. Two-thirds of new and expectant mothers did not
receive any information about group B Streptococcus (also known as group B Strep, GBS or Strep) from a healthcare professional, despite 2017 guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) recommending that this information should be provided to all pregnant women. The survey of new and expectant mothers,
commissioned by the charity Group B Strep Support, found that while most (95%) had heard of the infection, fewer than two-thirds (62%) felt confident recognising symptoms in a baby; 66% would like to learn more about GBS from their healthcare professional; and 93% support the introduction of national testing. A simple swab test for GBS has been privately available for 20 years but is not routinely available on the NHS. Currently, the NHS only tests women who fall within “high risk” categories.
routinely offer antenatal testing to all pregnant women. Group B Strep Support is calling for midwives to have better training and education on GBS to ensure they are fully supported to inform expectant parents about prevention, testing that may be available and key signs of infection. Since May 2023, NHS England has mandated training specifically on group B Strep for all NHS Trusts, but there is not yet any nationally available training materials for Trusts to use.
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