UK health services could be world leaders in creating workplaces which support doctors’ wellbeing and patient safety if existing good practice were applied more widely, a report for the General Medical Council (GMC) has found.

The Caring for doctors, Caring for patients report identifies a need to address the wellbeing of doctors faced with higher workloads, whose own health impacts on patient care.

Leading organisational psychologist Professor Michael West and clinical psychiatrist and leader in mental health Dame Denise Coia were commissioned by the GMC to examine root causes of poor wellbeing, and solutions applied in both primary and secondary care. They heard evidence from clinicians working across a range of disciplines around the UK.