Seventy percent of trainee doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology report being at moderate to high risk of burnout, a figure higher than the 61% average across all medical specialties.
Data from the General Medical Council (GMC) national training survey, which saw a 68% response rate from nearly 52,000 trainees in 2026, suggests this exhaustion is creating a critical impact on patient care, BBC News reported.
The GMC findings indicate that one in three trainees in the specialty regularly suffers from sleep deprivation, compared to one in five across the wider medical profession. One in three of these doctors feel hesitant or apprehensive about escalating concerns to senior colleagues, a trend that experts warn compromises safety on labor wards.
"Creating environments where staff are supported, listened to and feel able to raise concerns is essential," said Charlie Massey, head of the GMC. “Sadly, when we see when things go wrong, it is it is very often because of failures in terms of culture and leadership,” Charlie Massey, head of the GMC, told BBC News.
Author Adam Kay, who left the medical profession in 2010 following a traumatic birth incident, described the report as "miserable reading." He said that the findings mirror his own experiences, arguing that little has changed regarding the support provided to staff after difficult clinical events.
Kay said that medical professionals on labour wards are suffering from burnout and bullying, while also feeling unable to escalate issues to those in charge. He added that systemic issues, including chronic understaffing and a lack of basic support for staff well-being, contribute to a culture where many doctors are actively planning their exit from the specialty.
For doctors currently in training, the challenge lies in managing intense clinical demands with limited resources. Dr Miriam Broughton, a resident doctor in her second year of training to become an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant, highlighted the pressure of handling multiple, urgent cases simultaneously.
"There’s just one of you to manage all those jobs," Broughton said, noting that while she finds the work rewarding, the sheer volume of responsibilities can be overwhelming. She acknowledged that reports of doctors feeling unable to call consultants for help are a major concern within the hospital system.
Dr Kat Barton, chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) National Trainee Committee, emphasized that these workplace issues have a direct correlation with the quality of care provided to patients. She said that many trainees feel overstretched and are working beyond their contracted hours.
Barton stated to BBC News that government investment is required for safe staffing levels, protected training time, and support for their careers and wellbeing, so that they may provide women with the safe and compassionate care they are entitled to.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that empowering staff to speak up about workload and safety is a primary lesson from recent maternity reviews. A spokesperson for the department said that all NHS trusts are now required to employ a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to facilitate these internal pathways.
The government maintains that it is prioritizing the strengthening of the maternity workforce, citing the addition of over 600 midwives in the past year. The Secretary of State is currently chairing a Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to address the concerns raised by both families and staff, with the goal of ensuring all units meet high safety standards.