Almost one in four (23%) locally employed (LE) doctors and nearly one in three (31%) of specialty, associate specialist and specialist (SAS) doctors said they had experienced or witnessed bullying or harassment in their role, with consultants most often identified as the source of problems.
Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC, said: ‘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.'
LE and SAS doctors are practitioners who provide patient care, but who are not in formal training posts that lead to becoming consultants or GPs, make up a fifth of all doctors, with many having qualified overseas.
Among LE doctors, nearly half (45%) of internationally qualified doctors reported experiencing micro-aggressions, such as negative comments or oppressive body language, compared to 37% of UK-qualified doctors. Fourteen per cent said they experienced these behaviours daily or weekly.
Internationally qualified LE doctors were also more likely to report being excluded from workplace interactions, with 32% reporting this compared with 19% of UK-qualified colleagues.
Among SAS doctors, 31% of internationally qualified doctors said they were not given the same training opportunities as their peers, compared with 18% of UK-qualified doctors. A quarter (25%) said they had been intentionally humiliated in front of others, compared with 18% of UK-qualified SAS doctors.
Doctors who qualified outside the UK were also less confident about challenging and reporting discrimination. Less than half, 45%, of internationally qualified LE doctors said they felt confident challenging discrimination, compared with 58% of those who qualified in the UK.
Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, medical director at Medical Protection, said: ‘This data from the GMC shows that the simple decision to pursue a career path outside the traditional structure is leaving many SAS and LE doctors feeling alienated and isolated.
‘We're especially concerned to see that SAS and LE doctors who qualified overseas are reporting less positive experiences across the board, especially in light of recent reports of discrimination and racism faced by doctors. This represents a continuing pattern across the medical sector and more needs to be done to root out any and all discrimination with a zero-tolerance approach.
‘The fact over two-thirds of those who didn't report incidents felt it wouldn't make a difference is a damning indictment on the quality of welfare and lack of support that SAS and LE doctors feel. It points to a cultural issue that needs to be addressed urgently and highlights how they are falling through the gaps.'
