Junior doctor burnout putting maternity patients at risk, says regulator

Training doctors working on maternity wards are experiencing high rates of burnout which could have a "critical impact" on patients, a regulator is warning. Author Adam Kay, who left medicine in 2010 after dealing with a traumatic birth incident, says the report "makes for miserable reading" and says "nothing has been done" to improve workplace culture.

The Department for Health and Social Care said ensuring every maternity unit "meets the highest standards" was a priority. The GMC analysed figures from its national training survey, which in 2026 was completed by 68% of trainee doctors, which includes registrars, representing almost 52,000 people.

Charlie Massey, head of the GMC, said having doctors who feel they cannot speak up, could have a critical impact on patients. He told the BBC: "Sadly, when we see when things go wrong, it is it is very often because of failures in terms of culture and leadership." He went on to write This is going to hurt: Secret Diaries of a junior doctor about his experiences, including caring for a mother who delivered a stillborn baby.