Sounding the alarm

MPS surveyed more than 1,000 doctors in training about their experiences – one of the biggest issues was quality of care, with 51% having concerns over the quality of care in their workplace.

More than 60% of doctors in their foundation year 1 confided in fellow trainees about their concerns, whilst doctors in their foundation year 2 were more willing to discuss their quality of care concerns, with 67% raising the issue with their clinical managers.

It is important that concerns about care quality are raised with senior colleagues. It is your responsibility as a doctor to do so, and patient safety should be your top priority.

As a foundation doctor you have just as much responsibility as anybody else to raise concerns about patient safety. It is your responsibility to ensure there are safe processes in the hospital where you work.

Senior clinicians and clinical managers have a responsibility for creating an open culture and an environment where recognition and discussion of care quality issues is routine.

If you have concerns:

• It is important that you use your employer’s governance processes, such as incident reporting.
• It is not appropriate to say you’re “too busy” or you “don’t want to fill out the forms”.
• Raise concerns within your team; discuss with a senior colleague; and ultimately, raise your concerns with your employer.

If you still have concerns, contact MPS

Useful links

Our online guide for new doctors, Supporting you through your foundation years, features sections on good medical practice, how to manage risk, future careers and maintaining a work/life balance.

Access our guide Supporting you through you foundation years

Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, MPS medicolegal adviser, discusses who junior doctors should speak to if they have any concerns about the care patients are receiving. Watch Pallavi's video