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GMC National Training Survey 2021 reveals scale of burnout amongst doctors

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 27th July 2021

The survey of over 63,000 doctors in or providing training found high satisfaction with training, but substantial levels of burnout.

Findings from the General Medical Council (GMC) National Training Survey 2021 (this link will take you away from our website) have highlighted the scale of burnout amongst doctors as a result of the pandemic. More than 63,000 doctors across the UK, either in training or providing training, responded to the survey this year. Responses to questions relating to burnout were the worst they’ve been since the questions were introduced in 2018.

A third of trainees reported feeling burnt out to a high or very high degree by their work, compared to around a quarter in previous years. In addition, three in five reported always or often feeling worn out at the end of a working day, and 44% described their work as emotionally exhausting to a high or very high degree.

However, the quality of training continued to be perceived as high. Just over three-quarters of trainees rated the quality of their teaching as good or very good, and 88% reported similar satisfaction with their clinical supervision.

Responding to the results of the survey, the GMC’s Chief Executive Charlie Massey said:

“It is not surprising that burnout has worsened during the pandemic, but we cannot expect doctors to continue to operate at this level of intensity. As health services emerge from COVID pressures will remain, but we must not risk reversing the gains that have been made in recent years.

The danger is that, unless action is taken, workloads and wellbeing will continue to suffer, and future burnout rates could get even worse. As we move on from the pandemic, it is vital that doctors’ training and wellbeing needs are central to service recovery plans. This year’s results should be a blip caused by COVID, not part of a new normal.”

A summary report of the survey’s findings can be found here (this link will take you away from our website).

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