The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh agrees with the GMC that the results of the National Training Survey 2024 show that increased support for, and numbers of, trainers is required to accommodate the growing number of medical graduates. However, we also remain gravely concerned by the continued findings of the survey with regard to poor and discriminatory behaviour experienced by surgical trainees.
College President Prof. Rowan Parks commented:
We have called for some time for an increase in the number of medical school places, and continue to argue that this necessitates additional training capacity for new medical graduates.
Additionally we remain concerned at the issue of bullying, undermining and other poor behaviours perpetrated by a small minority of people within the surgical team. 26% of female surgical trainees reported being excluded or ignored in conversations, alongside 16% of their male colleagues. 22% of female trainees report being deliberately humiliated in front of others, with 16% of male surgical trainees also reporting this. In both cases surgery is the worst performing specialty. This is unacceptable and we will continue our work to change the culture of surgery so that all members of the team are valued and supported.
We will also continue to address the issues related to sexually inappropriate behaviour in the surgical workplace. This survey found that 41% of female trainee surgeons and 39% of female anaesthetic trainees report hearing sexist or inappropriate jokes at work and 16% of female surgical trainees report being the subject of unwelcome sexual comments. These behaviours have no place in society and certainly no place in the operating theatre. We would like to thank those who responded to the survey for having the courage to respond with their experiences.
Culture change is always a long and difficult process, and in this instance it is also long-overdue. Surgery as a profession must move towards reducing and eradicating bullying, undermining, micro-aggressions and sexual comments or advances within the surgical team and more widely. A majority of trainees do find their experiences are positive, leading not only to a happier workforce but also to better patient outcomes. We as a College will continue to strive to make that the experience of all our trainees.
- RCSEd was first incorporated as the Barber Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1505 and is based in Edinburgh and Birmingham.
- It is one of the oldest surgical corporations in the world with a global membership of more than 32,000, including 15,000 members in the UK.
- The College also has a significant worldwide presence with members in over 140 countries.
- The College promotes the highest standards of surgical and dental practice through education, training and examinations, its liaison with external medical bodies and representation of the modern surgical and dental workforce.
- The College has six faculties: The Faculty of Dental Surgery, The Faculty of Surgical Trainers, The Faculty of Dental Trainers, The Faculty of Perioperative Care, The Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care and The Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare.
- It is also home to the UK’s only Faculty of Surgical Trainers, open to all those with an interest in surgical training regardless of College affiliation.
- Find RCSEd at www.rcsed.ac.uk, on X (formerly known as Twitter), on Facebook, and Instagram.
For further information, please contact comms@rcsed.ac.uk.