One in Five Trainee Doctors Fear Escalating Patient Care
This figure rose to nearly one in three among trainees in high-pressure specialties, including surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, general medicine, and emergency medicine. These groups also reported the highest levels of stress, bullying, and incivility.
New for 2024, the GMC asked trainees if they ever felt apprehensive about escalating care to a senior colleague. Among those who reported hesitancy:
4% said they felt this daily or weekly.
5% monthly.
12% less often.
Professor Pushpinder Mangat, medical director at the GMC, said: "These findings are extremely concerning. Doctors need to feel comfortable escalating concerns. When they don't, there are potentially serious risks to patient safety."
Burnout Risk Still High
Burnout levels remain high, with one in five trainees at high risk — double the rate reported in 2019, though slightly down from 2023.
Burnout varied significantly by specialty – from 30% in emergency medicine to just 4% in public health. Half of the cohort said that they found their work emotionally exhausting to a high or very high degree.
Among trainers, 11% were cat high risk of burnout, and 36% at moderate risk. Despite this, 90% said they enjoyed their role, and 70% rated the support they received as either good or very good.
Training Quality Mostly Rated Highly
The GMC received responses from 50,637 trainees and 21,289 trainers. Among trainees:
87% rated the quality of their clinical supervision as good or very good.
84% said the quality of their training experience was good or very good.
63% said their posts gave them opportunities to develop their leadership skills.
However, concerns persisted:
16% of surgery trainees rated teaching quality as poor or very poor, compared with 3% of GP trainees.
61% were at moderate or high risk of burnout.
39% lacked confidence reporting workplace discrimination.
28% experienced negative behaviour from colleagues.
9% of female and 4% of male trainees reported unwelcome sexual comments or advances.
Rota Gaps
The survey also found continuing problems due to rota gaps, with 26% saying their training had been affected because these gaps are not being dealt with effectively. The GMC said it is 'vital' that trusts and boards address the issue.
The report noted a steady increase over recent years in the proportion of trainees working less than full time, which now involved 30% of female and 15% of male trainees.
There was also 'notable variation' between specialties, with 46% of paediatrics and child health trainees training less than full time, compared with just 8% of those in surgery posts.
Those rating their workload as heavy or very heavy (42% overall) ranged from 70% in emergency medicine to 19% in public health.
Of those who worked less than full-time, or had considered or applied to do so, 66% sought a better work-life balance and 44% cited childcare responsibilities.
The GMC called for flexible training models to create a sustainable workforce and safe patient care. It was 'clear that medical education and training needs to adapt', it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
29 minutes ago
- CNN
Man dies after being pulled into an MRI by a metal chain he wore, police say
FacebookTweetLink A man died last week after being pulled into an MRI machine by a 'large metallic chain' police said he was wearing around his neck – highlighting the importance of checking for any metallic objects before going near the powerful magnets used in the medical imaging machines. The 61-year-old died Thursday, a day after Nassau County police said he was pulled into the MRI machine at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York, on Long Island. The victim was wearing 'a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine,' prompting an unspecified 'medical episode,' police said in a news release. The man's entry to the room 'while the scan was in progress' was not authorized, police said. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition before he was declared dead the following day. The investigation is ongoing, police said. Police have not identified the victim, but CNN affiliate News 12 Long Island reported his name was Keith McAllister, according to his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister. She told the station she was the one undergoing the MRI. 'He went limp in my arms,' Jones-McAllister said through tears. A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Sunday said it had no comment. Used often for disease detection and diagnosis, MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. The technology relies in part on powerful magnets to stimulate protons within a patient, who is placed inside the machine, allowing doctors to capture detailed images of the patient's anatomy. That strong magnetic field, however, emanates beyond the MRI machine, posing a threat to those who might be wearing metallic objects or have them implanted. The magnets exert 'very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,' the scientific institute notes, with enough strength 'to fling a wheelchair across the room.' Jones-McAllister was getting an MRI on her knee, she told News 12, and needed help getting up afterwards. She said she asked the MRI technician to retrieve her husband for assistance. 'I yelled out Keith's name, 'Keith, Keith, come help me up,'' Jones-McAllister said. According to News 12, Jones-McAllister said her husband was wearing around his neck a 20-pound chain with a large lock he used for weight training. 'At that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in, and he hit the MRI,' Jones-McAllister said. She said she and the technician tried to pry her husband away from the machine. 'I'm saying, 'Could you turn off the machine? Call 911. Do something. Turn this damn thing off!'' Because of the risks posed by an MRI machine's magnetic field, patients are urged to notify their doctors about any medical implants prior to an MRI, in case they contain any metallic materials. Pacemakers, insulin pumps and cochlear implants are all examples of implants that the NIBIB says should under no circumstances enter an MRI machine. But items outside the machine pose risks as well, as last week's tragedy in Westbury demonstrated. Anything magnetic – from something as small as keys, to something as large (or larger) than an oxygen tank – can become a projectile, threatening the safety of anyone nearby. 'Metal in a room that has the magnet will fly across the room to the scanner, to this large magnet, and will really hit anything in its way,' Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a radiologist, told CNN in 2011. 'So within radiology training, one learns very early that that's not OK, that you can't have external metal in the room, and you can't have metal in the patient,' she said. 'That could lead to a problem.' These accidents have happened in the past: In 2001, a 6-year-old boy was killed during an MRI at a hospital in Valhalla, New York, after a metal oxygen tank flew across the room when the machine's electromagnet turned on. The magnetized tank struck the child, who died of blunt force trauma injuries. These events are rare, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Still, '(c)areful screening of people and objects entering the MR environment is critical to ensure nothing enters the magnet area that may become a projectile,' the agency says.
CNN
41 minutes ago
- CNN
Man dies after being pulled into an MRI by a metal chain he wore, police say
A man died last week after being pulled into an MRI machine by a 'large metallic chain' police said he was wearing around his neck – highlighting the importance of checking for any metallic objects before going near the powerful magnets used in the medical imaging machines. The 61-year-old died Thursday, a day after Nassau County police said he was pulled into the MRI machine at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York, on Long Island. The victim was wearing 'a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine,' prompting an unspecified 'medical episode,' police said in a news release. The man's entry to the room 'while the scan was in progress' was not authorized, police said. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition before he was declared dead the following day. The investigation is ongoing, police said. Police have not identified the victim, but CNN affiliate News 12 Long Island reported his name was Keith McAllister, according to his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister. She told the station she was the one undergoing the MRI. 'He went limp in my arms,' Jones-McAllister said through tears. A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Sunday said it had no comment. Used often for disease detection and diagnosis, MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. The technology relies in part on powerful magnets to stimulate protons within a patient, who is placed inside the machine, allowing doctors to capture detailed images of the patient's anatomy. That strong magnetic field, however, emanates beyond the MRI machine, posing a threat to those who might be wearing metallic objects or have them implanted. The magnets exert 'very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,' the scientific institute notes, with enough strength 'to fling a wheelchair across the room.' Jones-McAllister was getting an MRI on her knee, she told News 12, and needed help getting up afterwards. She said she asked the MRI technician to retrieve her husband for assistance. 'I yelled out Keith's name, 'Keith, Keith, come help me up,'' Jones-McAllister said. According to News 12, Jones-McAllister said her husband was wearing around his neck a 20-pound chain with a large lock he used for weight training. 'At that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in, and he hit the MRI,' Jones-McAllister said. She said she and the technician tried to pry her husband away from the machine. 'I'm saying, 'Could you turn off the machine? Call 911. Do something. Turn this damn thing off!'' Because of the risks posed by an MRI machine's magnetic field, patients are urged to notify their doctors about any medical implants prior to an MRI, in case they contain any metallic materials. Pacemakers, insulin pumps and cochlear implants are all examples of implants that the NIBIB says should under no circumstances enter an MRI machine. But items outside the machine pose risks as well, as last week's tragedy in Westbury demonstrated. Anything magnetic – from something as small as keys, to something as large (or larger) than an oxygen tank – can become a projectile, threatening the safety of anyone nearby. 'Metal in a room that has the magnet will fly across the room to the scanner, to this large magnet, and will really hit anything in its way,' Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a radiologist, told CNN in 2011. 'So within radiology training, one learns very early that that's not OK, that you can't have external metal in the room, and you can't have metal in the patient,' she said. 'That could lead to a problem.' These accidents have happened in the past: In 2001, a 6-year-old boy was killed during an MRI at a hospital in Valhalla, New York, after a metal oxygen tank flew across the room when the machine's electromagnet turned on. The magnetized tank struck the child, who died of blunt force trauma injuries. These events are rare, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Still, '(c)areful screening of people and objects entering the MR environment is critical to ensure nothing enters the magnet area that may become a projectile,' the agency says.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Swim sessions introduced for adults with sight loss
Sea Lanes in Brighton has introduced open water swimming sessions for visually impaired swimmers, following a successful pilot with University of Brighton researchers. The sessions, taking place at the "UK's national open water swimming centre", will run weekly from 23 July to 27 August, from 11:00 BST to midday. The pool will be closed to the public during these times to create a "calm, supportive environment" tailored to the needs of swimmers with sight loss, said the University of Brighton. While outdoor swimming is increasingly recognised for its health and wellbeing benefits, many swimming spaces remain inaccessible to people with visual impairments, the university said. The sessions will build on research led by University of Brighton PhD student Sadie Rockliffe, after an initial session was held on 11 June. The university added that the sessions were helping to make "significant steps towards making Brighton's blue spaces more welcoming for all". Sadie said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to see these dedicated sessions coming to life at Sea Lanes. "The pilot swim showed just how powerful and positive these experiences can be when access and inclusion are genuinely prioritised. "It's not just about swimming – it's about creating a welcoming, supportive space for people to connect with the water." Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Adults with sight loss invited to open water swim Related internet links University of Brighton Sea Lanes Brighton
