19.11.14
Bullying too common in medical training – GMC
Bullying and undermining are too common in medical training, according to the General Medical Council (GMC).
A survey it has done of the 50,000 doctors in training found nearly one in ten reporting that they had been bullied, while nearly one in seven said they had witnessed it in the workplace.
One doctor in training who responded to the survey said: “If you get on the wrong side of a consultant it may have a big impact on your future career. I’ve experienced this myself and it definitely makes me think twice about reporting instances of bullying, either locally or to the GMC.”
The GMC says that while the survey shows that systems are generally working well there are still areas to be improved. It adds that bullying and undermining can affect the safety of patients as it can make doctors in training more reluctant to report concerns.
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the GMC said: “There is a need to create a culture where bullying of any kind is simply not tolerated. Apart from the damage it can do to individual self-confidence, it is likely to make these doctors much more reluctant to raise concerns. They need to feel able to raise the alarm and know that they will be listened to and action taken.
“We are working with those responsible for postgraduate education at local level to respond to this feedback from doctors in training. We need to develop a supportive culture that actively encourages doctors in training to feel confident in raising concerns at an earlier stage.”
Danny Mortimer, the new chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, emphasised that bullying in the NHS was not acceptable and tackling the problem was a priority for everyone.
He added: “Managers have a key role in creating the right culture and processes to eliminate and tackle bullying and, in the case of medical staff, the managers are usually doctors too. This is why NHS Employers and healthcare providers will continue to work closely with medical bodies to identify what can be done to tackle dysfunctional and harmful workplace relationships.
“Patient safety is the priority for every NHS worker, including doctors in training, and the findings in the GMC are broadly encouraging, reflecting the work being done by organisations to best use the skills and insights of doctors in training to improve the care given to patients.”
The GMC has also recently consulted on what action should be taken against doctors who bully or undermine others. The consultation, which closed last week, sought views on what sanctions should be imposed on doctors who are found to have bullied colleagues and put patients at risk or discriminated against others in their professional or personal life. The results of the consultation will be published in February.
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