Medical trainees in Scotland report higher satisfaction than their UK counterparts, despite growing reports of burnout and discrimination through the health service.

A national survey of more than 70,000 doctors in training across the UK show 85% of Scotland’s medical trainees have had a good experience in their post, compared to the UK average of 82.62%.

The General Medical Council (GMC), which sets and upholds standards in medical education and practice across the UK, has also found that overall satisfaction among trainees was more than a percentage point higher in Scotland than in England, at 78.61% compared to 77.49%.

The Executive Medical Director of the body that oversees training for doctors in Scotland says the results are testament to the hard work of trainers, trainees, educators and those who support them.

However, she says reports of discriminatory behaviour within the health service – where 28% of trainee doctors in the UK said they have heard insults, stereotyping or jokes relating to protected characteristics – are “unacceptable”.

Professor Emma Watson, Executive Medical Director at NHS Education for Scotland (NES) – which has 31 programmes ranked number 1 in the UK for overall satisfaction – said:

“Scotland is an excellent place for doctors to train and to work.

“However, there’s much more to do, and we are actively addressing many areas. We are always working with local teams to raise performance, so we can deliver excellence across the board.

“We also want to make sure that the environment that people work and learn in is an encouraging one. While a large proportion of trainees told us that they haven’t experienced discriminatory behaviours, any level of discrimination is unacceptable, and we’ll be working closely with partners to address this important issue.”

It comes months after Royal College representatives came together to call for organisational and cultural change throughout NHS Scotland.

 

Stress and burnout

Almost two thirds (64%) of trainee doctors in Scotland surveyed by the GMC are seen to be at high or moderate risk of burnout – slightly below the UK average of 66%.

Among those surveyed that are responsible for training doctors in Scotland, 12% say the level of support received from their employer has been poor or very poor – the highest of any UK nation.

More than a third (38%) of Scottish trainers also say they were not able to use all the training time allocated for that purpose, due to conflicting workload pressures.

Last month, a third of Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) members said they are experiencing worse mental health and wellbeing than at the height of the pandemic – a figure the legal support body said comes as a ‘stark reminder’ of how difficult it has been for those providing healthcare services.

 

Read more: Scotland’s doctors ‘trying not to lose hope’; Can Scotland make health fairer?; College: Preserve GPs to preserve the NHS; Junior doctor strikes on pause; Diversity in healthcare – what can we do?;

 

 

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