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Bullying in Training

A report from the Medical Council has found that bullying persists within the training environment for doctors. Half of all doctors in training who responded to a survey identified fellow doctors as the main sources of bullying. Consultants and GPs accounted for 48% of trainee bullying.

In all, 36% of trainees reported nurses and midwives as being the main source of bullying they have experienced. Just 3% of doctors in training reported being bullied by a member of management. The vast majority of trainee doctors who experienced bullying in their learning environment did not report their experience to anyone in authority. Of the trainees who did report their experience of bullying to someone in authority, almost 40% felt that no action was taken.

Trainees in the larger hospitals and smaller hospitals were most likely to be bullied, compared with trainees in general practices or mental health services. Some areas saw high levels of reported bullying - emergency medicine, radiology and anaesthesia.Bill Prasifka, chief executive of the Council, said he was disappointed that the reported experiences of bullying by trainees is no better this year.