More than half of doctors bullied in the workplace are too afraid to report their experiences, according to a GMC report.

A survey of almost 11,000 specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors and LEDs (locally employed doctors) from across the UK found that 31 per cent and 23 per cent respectively reported having experienced or witnessed bullying or harassment while at work.

Published today the survey also finds 70 per cent of LED and 58 per cent of SAS doctors chose not to report such incidents, with 67 per cent of both groups feeling that doing so would make no difference.

Among those doctors who told the survey that they had felt unable to report bullying and harassment, 60 per cent of LEDs and 54 per cent of SAS doctors said they feared adverse consequences of making a complaint.

The findings are part of the largest survey of LED and SAS doctors conducted by the GMC since 2019 and saw 5,221 LEDs and 5,359 SAS doctors from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland participate.

In terms of the types of bullying and harassment from colleagues encountered, 43 per cent of LEDs and 44 per cent of SAS doctors told the survey that these ranged from micro-aggressions, negative comments and oppressive body language.

The report also finds negative experiences were disproportionately reported based on whether a doctor had gained their medical qualification in the UK or overseas, with 32 per cent of international LEDs reporting being excluded from workplace interactions compared with 19 per cent of those who were UK-qualified.

Meanwhile 31 per cent of IMG (international medical graduate) SAS doctors told the GMC they had not been given the same training opportunities as their peers, compared with 18 per cent of UK-qualified doctors who said the same.

Thirty-nine per cent of all LED and SAS doctors contributing to the survey told the GMC that they did not believe that their roles were viewed as ‘positive career choices’ within the NHS.

Responding to the report, BMA specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctor committee  chairs Ujjwala Mohite and John Edwin said many of the survey’s findings would sadly come as little surprise to many LED and SAS doctors.

They said: ‘These findings may appear shocking but will be sadly unsurprising for most SAS doctors and LEDs working in the NHS.

‘For too long both groups of doctors have been devalued and disrespected by management and often even our own colleagues, despite being the backbone of many NHS services, providing essential and lifesaving care day-in, day-out.

‘As this survey shows, this disrespect too often crosses the line into bullying and harassment, made all the more worse considering the majority of SAS and LEDs are doctors who qualified overseas, underling the deep institutional discrimination within the NHS.

'That these findings are published during ‘SAS Week’ when the NHS is supposed to be celebrating the contribution of SAS doctors while advocating for and supporting their wellbeing, shows just how far we have to go.'

In addition to reports of bullying and harassment, the GMC's report has also exposed worrying results concerning LED and SAS doctors' opportunities for training and career progression.

While the survey found that 67 per cent of LED and 83 per cent of SAS doctors reported having either formal or informal responsibility for the training of medical students and other doctors, 48 per of LEDs and 38 per cent of SAS doctors said they had experienced difficulty accessing training and development opportunities in the past 12 months.

The survey also found that the number of LEDs who reported being offered training opportunities to advance their careers had decreased from 59 per cent in the 2019 survey to 52 per cent this year.

Recent developments, however, could address these shortcomings, with the publication last month of new guidance requiring employers to transfer new and existing LEDs from short-term to substantive, nationally recognised contracts.

Eligible doctors in England working under local contracts can also now apply to become specialist and specialty doctors via the EPF (eligibility permanency framework).

The GMC survey findings come as SAS doctors across the UK remain unhappy about their pay and conditions, resulting in disputes in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

In England, 90 per cent of SAS doctors who voted in a ballot in July were in favour of strike action. In Scotland, a ballot is opening on 26 October.

Dr Mohite and Dr Edwin added that, while they acknowledged much progress had been made on improving workplace experiences, they believed that further reform, particularly of workplace cultures and attitudes, was needed if the failings identified by the report were to be made a thing of the past.

They said: ‘While progress has been made in recent years to improve the experiences of SAS and LEDs, including changes that allow LEDs to transfer from insecure and exploitative local contracts to national terms and conditions, there is clearly the bigger problem of culture that needs addressing.

‘The behaviours illustrated in this report have no place in our NHS, and when doctors speak up, they need to be assured that they will be listened to and their concerns will be acted on.’

'SAS doctors in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all remain in dispute with the Government over pay, recognition and barriers to career progression. Reports like this underline the need for governments and employers to take serious action to support and retain this invaluable group of doctors who, as the GMC points out, make up such a considerable proportion of the NHS workforce.'

Describing today’s report as a ‘wake-up call’ for the NHS, GMC chief executive Charlie Massey called on employers to do more to ensure inclusive and supportive workplaces for all staff.

He said: ‘SAS and LEDs make an invaluable contribution to the NHS, bringing a wealth of skills and experience to patient care. Yet, too many continue to report poorer workplace experiences and feel less confident challenging discrimination.

‘This survey should be a wake-up call. For one of the NHS's fastest growing and most crucial workforce groups, more must be done to build inclusive, supportive workplaces where they, and everyone, can thrive.’

Read the GMC report