RCoA response to the GMC report ‘Caring for Doctors, Caring for Patients’

The GMC has published a new independent report into the wellbeing of doctors and medical students. The report includes eight recommendations to help deliver safe, supportive and inclusive environments, and compassionate cultures across the UK.

Professor Ravi Mahajan, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, said:

“The Royal College of Anaesthetists welcomes the GMC’s report and its focus on consistency of good practice in working environments as opposed to individual initiatives. It is this consistency that is key to tackling the systematic problem of low morale and wellbeing across the NHS. Whilst teaching and supporting doctors to cope with the stress of working in medicine does have its merits, a system-wide approach to addressing the root cause of the problem needs to be tackled rather than just trying to alleviate the symptoms.

 “The report’s call for regulating rotas, reviewing excessive work demands and increasing integrated care have been reflected in comments the College has heard from anaesthetists across the UK. This is especially true with the report’s recommendation to introduce minimum standards for basic staff rest facilities - something the College has been calling for over the past two years through the ‘Fight Fatigue’ campaign and our own welfare and morale report.

 “Pockets of good practice in the NHS go some way to bringing about change. However, if we are to address the pressing issue of doctor wellbeing then it is essential that institutions and organisations take on board the report’s recommendations and move towards consistency of care for their doctors.”