About The Authors

November 2025 - Health

One in five trainee doctors hesitate escalating patient care, according to recent study: A recent study has identified that more than one-fifth (21%) of trainee doctors hesitate to escalate patient care to a supervising clinician or senior support. This hesitation increases to nearly a quarter (23%) among trainees working during out-of-hours. The report suggests that such reluctance could have serious implications for patient safety.

The GMC surveyed 50,637 trainee doctors and 21,289 trainers for its (annual) National Training Survey, which monitors and reports on the quality of postgraduate medical education and training across the UK.  A new question introduced this year asked doctors in training if they ever felt apprehensive about escalating patient care. Encouragingly, while the majority (79%) report never feeling hesitancy, a worryingly large minority do. The study looks at the causes that contribute to this and proposes interventions to address the issue. 

The study finds that levels of what it terms ‘escalation hesitancy’ are notably higher in high-pressure specialities, such as surgery, where nearly one in three (29%) trainees report having experienced this issue; followed by obstetrics and gynaecology (27%), and medicine and emergency medicine (26%). It cites a 2023 study that establishes a direct connection between inadequate supervision of trainee doctors and higher patient mortality rates. Besides supervision quality, the GMC report points to other contributing factors such as workplace culture and workload pressures. 

More than a quarter (28%) of trainees state they have experienced discriminatory behaviours at work, which include bullying, micro-aggressions and negative comments. The results indicate that women, LGBTQ+, minority ethnic and disabled graduates are more likely to experience these types of behaviours compared to their peers. Worryingly, nearly two fifths (39%) of those who have faced discrimination express fear of reporting it due to concerns about potential adverse repercussions. This fear also likely extends to other areas of concern escalation, such as patient care.

The report stresses that escalation hesitancy poses a real threat to patient and trainee safety and recommends trainees are given the right information and support to raise their concerns safely and effectively. It also states that in keeping with good medical practice, all doctors are responsible for addressing discriminatory behaviours and creating a positive and safe working environment.  

Other Health Research Findings

Other Latest Market Research Insights