The General Medical Council (GMC) has released findings from its 2025 National Training Survey, revealing rising concerns about burnout, rota gaps, and psychological safety in postgraduate medical training across the UK.
While the majority of trainee doctors (87%) rated their clinical supervision positively, the report highlights significant pressures on both trainees and trainers including limited time for training duties, inconsistent access to support, and unsafe workloads.
"Doctors in training must be supported to thrive not survive in their working environments"
‘With one in five doctors in training at high risk of burnout, half reporting that their work is emotionally exhausting to a high or very high degree, and a third saying their work frustrates them to a high or very high degree, clearly the system is not doing enough to support the next generation of NHS doctors.”
The survey found that 61% of trainees and 47% of trainers are at moderate to high risk of burnout, while more than one in four trainees said they had felt unable to raise concerns about patient care in the past year. Rota gaps were reported as having a negative impact on training by 26% of trainees and 29% of trainers.
The GMC warns that the long term sustainability of medical education depends on inclusive, well-supported learning environments where trainees feel safe to speak up especially in high-pressure specialties like emergency medicine and surgery.
Key Actions Needed:
- Protect time for clinical supervision and educational duties in trainer schedules
- Address rota gaps to prevent disruption to training and patient safety
- Strengthen psychological safety so trainees feel confident escalating concerns
- Reduce burnout risk through improved staffing, support, and flexible training pathways
- Ensure inclusive, supportive workplaces particularly for minority and underrepresented groups
More on the 2025 National Training Survey here
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