Training doctors working on maternity wards are experiencing high rates of burnout which could have a "critical impact" on patients, a regulator is warning.
The General Medical Council (GMC) says the fully qualified doctors, who are still training in obstetrics and gynaecology, are reporting more feelings of overwork and sleep deprivation than similar trainees in any other field of medicine or surgery, and are also more wary of escalating concerns.
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.
Almost one in three trainee doctors working in obstetrics and gynaecology felt hesitant or apprehensive approaching a senior colleague about a patient, compared with one in five across all specialties
They were also more likely to be at moderate to high risk of burnout - 70% versus 61% across all specialties
One in three said they regularly suffered from sleep deprivation compared to one in five across the wider pool of trainees
