Obstetrics and gynaecology insight report 2026

Published 13 November 2026

Why did we carry out this analysis?

Reviews and investigations into maternity services have brought renewed attention to the importance of safe, supportive working environments. 

Recent reports – including the Ockenden Maternity Review and National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation in England – identified serious failures in maternity care. They also raised concerns about workforce pressures, workplace culture, leadership, inequalities, speaking up and organisational learning.

Doctors training in obstetrics and gynaecology can offer valuable insights into the environments in which they work and learn. By analysing their responses to our national training survey (NTS) data, we can add their perspective to wider discussions about maternity services across the UK.

What did the analysis involve?

We brought together four years of NTS data, from 2023 to 2026, to understand the experiences of doctors training in obstetrics and gynaecology across the UK.

We compared their experiences with those of doctors training in all specialties to identify where differences have persisted, improved or emerged over time. The analysis focuses on responses from doctors in training rather than trainers.

What were the key findings?

Workforce pressures remain a significant challenge for doctors training in obstetrics and gynaecology. Compared with doctors in training across all specialties, they reported:

  • higher workload intensity
  • more frequent experiences of feeling short of sleep
  • a greater risk of burnout.

However, the challenges were not limited to workload. Doctors training in obstetrics and gynaecology were more likely than doctors in training overall to feel hesitant or apprehensive about escalating concerns about a patient to a supervising clinician. They were also less likely to report positive experiences of:

  • supportive working environments
  • fairness and respect
  • confidence in reporting discrimination
  • confidence in challenging unprofessional behaviour. 

There were positive findings too. Doctors in training reported good experiences of:

  • clinical supervision
  • multidisciplinary team working
  • knowing how to report patient safety incidents and near misses. 

Experiences also varied within the specialty, with differences seen between local organisations, UK countries, and demographic groups.

How will we use the findings?

We'll use the findings to support our work with education and training providers and inform our contribution to wider maternity improvement work across the UK.

We hope this analysis encourages those involved in obstetrics and gynaecology training and maternity services more broadly to reflect on their own work and consider where action may be needed.

Download the research

Read the full analysis of doctors' experiences of obstetrics and gynaecology training

Darllenwch y dadansoddiad llawn o brofiadau meddygon o hyfforddiant obstetreg a gynaecoleg