The state of medical education and practice in the UK

The state of medical education and practice in the UK is a series of publications released each year using our unique data and research. These publications report analysis and insights on the doctor workforce, how it is changing, its trajectory, and on doctors’ workplace experiences.

Latest reports

These are the latest Workforce and Workplace reports. You can find previous year's reports in the archives.

The state of medical education and practice in the UK - Workplace experiences 2026
The workplace experiences report 2026

This year's edition of the Workplace experiences report draws on our annual Barometer survey of over 4,500 doctors, alongside in-depth interviews and broader contextual insight. It outlines the everyday issues shaping doctors’ working lives, and what this means for supporting good, safe patient care across the UK.

SoMEP 2025 workforce report text reads: The state of medical education and practice in the UK workforce report 2025
The workforce report 2025

The state of medical education and practice: workforce report analyses trends in the medical workforce across the UK. It uses a variety of sources to provide insights for policymakers and workforce planners – as well as deeper analysis on specific themes. Covering all four UK countries, the report looks at the capacity of the UK’s healthcare systems to meet patients’ needs, now and into the future.




Barometer survey

We commissioned IFF Research to conduct an online survey of doctors: the Barometer survey.

The GMC Barometer survey is a tracking survey that we run every year to find out how doctors’ experiences of practising in the UK are changing over time. The key findings are reported in, The state of medical education and practice in the UK.

Our latest survey, as in previous years, covered doctors’ satisfaction in their working lives, career intentions over the next year, experiences in the workplace and adaptations to pressurised environments.

We also commissioned independent research agency IFF Research to undertake follow up qualitative research to explore doctors’ reported difficulties providing a sufficient level of patient care

2025 Barometer survey




Previous reports

See our findings from 2011 to 2025.