Junior doctor burnout putting maternity patients at risk, says regulator

Training doctors working on maternity wards are experiencing high rates of burnout which could have a "critical impact" on patients, a regulator is warning.

The General Medical Council (GMC) says the fully qualified doctors, who are still training in obstetrics and gynaecology, are reporting more feelings of overwork and sleep deprivation than similar trainees in any other field of medicine or surgery, and are also more wary of escalating concerns.

Author Adam Kay, who left medicine in 2010 after dealing with a traumatic birth incident, says the report "makes for miserable reading" and says "nothing has been done" to improve workplace culture.

The Department for Health and Social Care said ensuring every maternity unit "meets the highest standards" was a priority.

The GMC analysed figures from its national training survey, which in 2026 was completed by 68% of trainee doctors, which includes registrars, representing almost 52,000 people.

It found:

• Almost one in three trainee doctors working in obstetrics and gynaecology felt hesitant or apprehensive approaching a senior colleague about a patient, compared with one in five across all specialties

• They were also more likely to be at moderate to high risk of burnout - 70% versus 61% across all specialties

• One in three said they regularly suffered from sleep deprivation compared to one in five across the wider pool of trainees

Charlie Massey, head of the GMC, said having doctors who feel they cannot speak up, could have a critical impact on patients.

"Creating environments where staff are supported, listened to and feel able to raise concerns is essential."

He told the BBC: "Sadly, when we see when things go wrong, it is it is very often because of failures in terms of culture and leadership."

Author Adam Kay says the findings echo his own time as a doctor.

He went on to write This is going to hurt: Secret Diaries of a junior doctor about his experiences, including caring for a mother who delivered a stillborn baby.

"I wasn't particularly well supported after it happened. It was a bit like I said I'd sprained my ankle or something. There was no talk of a debrief. There was no offer of time off or counselling. It's just, you know, get on with it."

He described the GMC report as "pretty miserable reading" and suggested that nothing had changed since he left the profession 16 years ago.

"The doctors working on our labour wards are burnt out, bullied, don't feel like they can report problems upstream. It's upsetting to read."

Aside from a negative work culture, a key problem, Kay suggests, is lack of staffing.

"There are fewer staff on the wards than ever. I can't remember the last time I spoke to a doctor in that specialty who wasn't working out what their plan B was, whether that's going part time, moving to another country, or moving to the pharmaceutical industry.

"It will always be busy and high pressured, but there are things you can affect. You can affect the number of people who are working there and you can affect the culture. You should be able to speak to your boss. You should be able to go and take a break and go for a cup of tea or a wee, and that's not the case at the moment."

Dr Miriam Broughton, 27, is a resident doctor in her second year of training to become an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant.

While the decisions she has to make sometimes keep her awake at night, she says she wouldn't change her job for the world.

"Being there to deliver someone's baby at the best moment of their life is honestly one of the best things you could ever do. And then also working with people through the hardest moments of their lives and being able to support them is just priceless."

The main challenge, she says, are the sheer number of demands placed on a doctor in her field.

"It could be that there's two or three ladies whose babies need delivering, and then somebody else coming in on maternity triage whose baby isn't moving, and you might also be getting calls from A&E about a lady having a miscarriage who's bleeding really heavily.

"There's just one of you to manage all those jobs."

Broughton says while she has largely had positive experiences, it is important to step back and look at the wider culture.

"You do hear things from other hospitals about people feeling nervous about calling the consultant...which isn't great."

Dr Kat Barton, chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) National Trainee Committee, says workplace issues end up affecting patients.

"Many of us feel overstretched and close to burnout. This reflects staff shortages, working beyond our hours, and knowing that despite our best efforts, the care women receive is being affected.

"We know the safest care comes from teams that are well-supported, well-resourced, and listen to each other and to women and families.

"We need the government to invest in safe staffing at every level, protect our time for training, and support our wellbeing and careers, so we can give women the safe, compassionate care they deserve."

Recent high profile maternity reviews, which looked at outcomes for mothers and babies, also highlighted concerns about workplace culture, leadership and the ability of staff to raise concerns.

Obstetrics and gynaecology trainees were more positive than average about some aspects of patient safety reporting, the GMC survey indicated, including how to report patient safety incidents and near misses.

A DHSC spokesperson said: "In all the investigations carried out in recent years into failings in maternity services, one of the key lessons has been that members of staff must feel empowered to speak up if they have concerns about workload, or patient safety, and their concerns must be acted upon.

"All NHS trusts are now required to have a dedicated Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and internal pathways for staff to raise concerns about the working environment, patient safety, or their own wellbeing.

"Alongside this, we are continuing to grow and strengthen the workforce to help relieve the pressures on busy maternity units, and there are now a record number of midwives working in the NHS, with over 600 added in the past year.

"Since coming into the role in July, the Secretary of State has made maternity services a personal priority, and the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce that she is chairing is working to respond to the concerns raised by staff and families alike, and ensure that every maternity unit meets the highest standards of patient safety and care."