GMC publishes results of the 2026 national training survey

The GMC’s national training survey provides an unparalleled picture of the experiences of tens of thousands of doctors in postgraduate medical training across the UK, on topics such as their working conditions, workplace culture and the quality of training.

This year, five separate reports have been produced; one showing UK-wide data, and then individual briefing documents for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales with over 74,000 doctors in training (DiT) and trainers completed the survey.

Key findings - UK wide results

• 87 per cent of DiT rated the quality of their clinical supervision as good or very good and 79 per cent never felt apprehensive or hesitant escalating a patient to the supervising clinician. 
• However, 61 per cent were considered to be at moderate or high risk of burnout and 26 per cent said training has been affected because rota gaps aren’t dealt with appropriately.
• Trainees rated teaching and clinical supervision highly, and noted signs of improvement in burnout risk, confidence in raising concerns, and experiences of discriminatory behaviour. 
• Doctors in training were positive about core components of their postgraduate training. For the second-year running, over three quarters of doctors in training rated the quality of their teaching as good or very good.
• Pressures remain, and burnout risk rose among parts of the trainer workforce. This highlights the need for continued focus on supporting trainers and addressing pressures in key areas. 
• New for 2026 was a question asking doctors in training whether their organisation encouraged a culture of shared learning and knowledge sharing between multidiscipline healthcare professionals. Most trainees (83 per cent) responded positively to this question.

NHS Employers' chief executive Ben Morrin said of the report:

“The 2026 National Training Survey shows improvement in a number of key areas. Trainees continue to value their teaching and supervision and have generally high levels of confidence in escalating and raising concerns. We have also seen some improvement in rota design and notice of rotas which may be in part due to the positive impact of the 10 Point Plan.

Yet it must concern all of us that trainees are reporting unwelcome sexual conduct. Although the number of colleagues raising those concerns remain low, any incidence is absolutely unacceptable and will be a fundamental area of focus for employers. Burnout also remains a real area of concern and whilst there are key national initiatives, such as the Medical Education Training Review - looking at improving the experience of rotational training employers - employers must also be aware of the key role they play in supporting resident doctors.”

Visit the GMC website to access the reports in full.