Doctor burnout on maternity wards risks patient safety, GMC warns

The GMC analysed figures from its 2026 national training survey, completed by 68% of trainee doctors, representing almost 52,000 people. It found nearly one in three trainee doctors working in obstetrics and gynaecology felt hesitant or apprehensive about 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, and one in three said they regularly suffered from sleep deprivation, compared with 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, who left medicine in 2010 after dealing with a traumatic birth incident, described the report as “pretty miserable reading” and said little had changed since he left the profession. Kay said he was not well supported after the incident. He said a key problem, aside from a negative work culture, was 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.”

Dr Miriam Broughton, a resident doctor in her second year of obstetrics and gynaecology training, said the main challenge was 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.”

Dr Kat Barton, chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists National Trainee Committee, said 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.” She said safe care comes from well-supported, well-resourced teams, and urged the government to invest in safe staffing and support trainees' wellbeing.

The Department for Health and Social Care said a key lesson from investigations into maternity failings was that staff must feel empowered to speak up about workload or patient safety concerns, and that their concerns must be acted upon. A spokesperson said 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. 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.”