'State of unease' in NHS risks affecting patients

A growing pressure on health services is leading to a "state of unease" among NHS staff and this risks affecting patients, a leading regulator has warned.

There was a "dangerous level of alienation" felt by doctors in training which had increased because of industrial action, a new report by the General Medical Council (GMC) found.

It highlighted the "intense pressure" of £2 billion in hospital deficits alongside falling performance figures for access to A&E, planned operations and ambulance response times as having a corrosive effect on morale.

The sixth annual report, The State Of Medical Education And Practice In The UK, was released on Thursday.

Despite some bleak findings it stressed UK healthcare "remains among the best in the world" and the vast majority of doctors were not complained about to the GMC.

Additionally, figures show women are edging closer to comprising half of all registered doctors and medicine is becoming more ethnically diverse as a profession.

An NHS Employers spokesman welcomed the "insight the report gives into the huge financial and service pressures the NHS is under".

The report adds: "There appears to be a general acceptance that the system cannot simply go on as before - there does need to be early and concerted action.

"Everyone wants a health service that is efficient, effective and compassionate."

The regulator said it had begun a "special review" into making postgraduate training for doctors "more flexible" in the future.

Department of Health spokesman said: "The Government is investing £10 billion to fund the NHS's own plan to transform services for the future - central to which is listening to the concerns of staff."