Doctors training in maternity services face higher workloads, burnout and barriers to speaking up, GMC analysis finds

Published 13 November 2026

Doctors training in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) are more likely than colleagues in other medical specialties to be hesitant about escalating concerns about patients in their care, new analysis by the General Medical Council (GMC) shows. Data, drawn from the regulator’s annual UK-wide survey of doctors in training over the last four years, also found that doctors training in O&G were consistently more likely than others to report heavy workloads, sleep deprivation and be at risk of burnout.

The analysis, published today, comes as UK governments, NHS trusts and healthcare regulators continue to respond to findings from maternity reviews, including those conducted by Donna Ockenden and Baroness Valerie Amos, which highlighted concerns about workplace culture, leadership and the ability of staff to raise concerns.

Almost a third (31%) of doctors training in O&G, when asked this year, said they had felt hesitant or apprehensive about escalating a patient to a more senior colleague, higher than across all specialities where around one in five (21%) felt the same.

The GMC’s analysis also found that, consistently over the last four years, O&G trainees were more likely to be at high or moderate risk of burnout (70% v 61% across all specialties in 2026) and to regularly suffer sleep deprivation (31% v 22% across all specialties in 2026).

While recent maternity reviews have, rightly, focused on the experiences of women, babies and families, and the harm and loss many suffered, as part of its patient safety role, the GMC’s analysis looks at the experience of doctors training in maternity services, and the factors that may affect their ability to provide safe and compassionate care.

GMC Chief Executive Charlie Massey says:

‘Our analysis provides important insight into factors that impact the care mothers, babies and their families receive. It cannot be discounted that when doctors are working under such significant pressures, in unsupportive workplaces where they feel they cannot speak up, then this will have a critical impact on patients.

‘Creating environments where staff are supported, listened to and feel able to raise concerns is essential. No single organisation can address these challenges alone; we all have a responsibility to act.

‘Employers, educators, professional bodies, regulators and governments must continue to work together to create the cultures and environments that support doctors to provide good, compassionate care for their patients.’

The GMC will share the analysis and insights, so it can inform ongoing work across health to improve maternity care.

Obstetrics and gynaecology insight report 2026 is available here.

  • The analysis draws on four years (2023-2026) of data from the GMC's annual national training survey, which captures the experiences of doctors in training, and their trainers, across the UK.
  • In 2026, 2,737 doctors training in obstetrics and gynaecology completed the survey.
  • The survey does not measure the quality or safety of patient care. It captures experiences of training and working environments.
  • The GMC is a member of the expert reference group supporting the UK government's National Maternity Taskforce, which is overseeing implementation of recommendations from recent maternity reviews and developing a national action plan to improve maternity services.