RCSEd launches campaign to target bullying epidemic among surgeons

In the first UK study of its kind published in its journal The Surgeon, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has revealed that a staggering one in six surgical trainees suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and that aspiring surgeons are three times more likely to be victims of bullying than anyone else in the NHS.

Both can have serious implications for patient safety, with healthcare professionals attributing disruptive behaviour in the perioperative area alone to 67% of adverse events, 71% of medical errors, and 27% of perioperative deaths. In addition to the human cost, it has been estimated that this issue costs the NHS £13.75billion annually.

In response, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has launched an Undermining and Bullying initiative, to encourage healthcare professionals to speak up and stamp out bullying.

It is also campaigning for the General Medical Council to introduce compulsory training on bullying, including medical education (CPD) credits for all foundation-year doctors and processes introduced, so individuals who bully and undermine have their training responsibilities removed.