UK maternity trainees face moderate or high burnout risk at 70%

Doctors training in obstetrics and gynecology had a 70% rate of moderate-to-high burnout risk, compared with 61% among trainees across all specialties, the General Medical Council (GMC) found in its 2026 national survey. The trainees are qualified doctors continuing specialist training. BBC Health said the GMC’s analysis also found that one in three maternity trainees regularly experienced sleep deprivation, compared with one in five trainees overall.

Almost one in three obstetrics and gynecology trainees felt hesitant or apprehensive about approaching a senior colleague about a patient, compared with one in five across all specialties.

The GMC published the survey’s overall results on 21 July 2026. Its maternity analysis points to pressure on trainees and difficulty approaching senior colleagues, although trainees in the specialty rated some aspects of safety reporting more positively than trainees overall, including how to report incidents and near misses.

Workload and speaking up

GMC chief executive Charlie Massey warned that doctors feeling unable to speak up could have a critical impact on patients. He called for workplaces where staff are supported, listened to and able to raise concerns. His warning describes a possible risk; the survey findings do not measure resulting patient harm.

Dr Miriam Broughton, who is training to become an obstetrics and gynecology consultant, said a doctor can face several demands at once, from deliveries to emergency calls. She said her own experiences had largely been positive, but she had heard of doctors elsewhere feeling nervous about calling a consultant.

Dr Kat Barton, who chairs the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' National Trainee Committee, said staff shortages and work beyond scheduled hours were affecting women’s care. She called for investment in staffing, protected training time and support for trainees' wellbeing and careers, saying the safest care comes from well-supported teams that listen to colleagues and families.

Author and former doctor Adam Kay said he was not offered a debrief, time off or counseling after a traumatic birth incident. He argued that staffing and workplace culture could be improved.

Who took part

The UK survey ran between March and May 2026 and covered working conditions, workplace culture and training. It was completed by 68% of trainee doctors across all specialties, or almost 52,000 people. Nearly 23,000 trainers also responded.

Government response and next steps

The Department for Health and Social Care said all National Health Service trusts must have a dedicated Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and internal routes for staff to raise concerns about working conditions, patient safety or their wellbeing. It said those concerns must be acted on.

The department said it was growing the workforce to ease pressure on maternity units and that NHS midwife numbers were at a record level, with more than 600 added over the past year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper chairs the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce. The government said it would publish an action plan based on the Ockenden and Amos review recommendations in 2026. It also announced a tracker for recommendations from major maternity and neonatal reviews and plans for a scheme to bar senior NHS managers who fail in their responsibilities.

The government said it would publish its full response to the separate Thirlwall inquiry recommendations after completing detailed consideration of its report.