Reacting to this week’s publication of the GMC's annual National Training Survey, Professor Rowan Parks, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh said:
"Whilst the survey shows that the majority of surgical trainers and trainees were broadly content with their experiences, it once again highlights a number of ongoing frustrations with the education and training provided by the NHS. Issues such as rota gaps, heavy workloads, burnout and unsupportive workplaces continue to be stubborn factors that inhibit training.
"More worryingly, a significant number of female surgical residents reported that they had heard insults, stereotyping or jokes in their presence on the grounds of age, race, religion, sex, disability, marital status, or pregnancy. Indeed, only half of female surgical residents said they felt confident about reporting discrimination without fear of adverse consequences. This is clearly unacceptable, so we will be pressing NHS bodies to highlight the urgent need to improve how they listen and react to concerns raised to them.
"We will therefore continue to engage with our resident doctors, as well as our Fellows and SAS/LED members delivering training to understand the issues and engage with NHS bodies to enact positive change."