Comment: GMC's National Training Survery 2016

Commenting on the GMC’s National Training Survey 2016, Mr Ian Eardley, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons, said:

"Doctors in training play a vital role in the delivery of safe, high quality care in the NHS.  The recent dispute over the junior doctors’ contract in England shone a spotlight on important issues such as workforce morale, quality of life issues and how junior doctors rate their training.

“It is therefore concerning that junior doctors across the UK continue to report problems with sleep deprivation and long working hours. We must take these issues seriously alongside the morale of our workforce.

“On a more positive note it is good news that the vast majority of doctors in training rate the quality of their clinical supervision as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’; and felt their working environment was a supportive one where staff respected each other.

“Patient safety must always be the priority when designing rotas and allocating time for training. Everyone in the NHS needs to take the survey’s findings seriously and review how they can further improve morale and training among our junior doctors, which will ultimately benefit patients.”

Notes to editors

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is a professional membership organisation and registered charity, which exists to advance surgical standards and improve patient care.

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