Raising concerns in the current NHS climate: a qualitative study exploring junior doctors' attitudes to training and teaching.

Abstract

Background: High profile cases continue to demonstrate failures to raise concerns with detrimental effects on patient safety. This research sought to establish what educational support junior doctors needed to effectively raise clinical and professional concerns.

Study design: A qualitative study with 16 participants taking part in three focus groups. The transcripts were thematically analysed.

Results: All the data could be coded into four themes: past experiences of teaching; suggested teaching; reporting mechanisms and educational challenges. Most participants were dissatisfied with the teaching they had received on raising concerns. Current systems were thought to be good for raising patient safety issues but not for concerns about professional behaviour of healthcare staff.

Conclusions: There is a need for improved education to tackle the way this is taught in postgraduate curricula. Frequent rotations and a lack of meaningful relationships left junior doctors feeling less invested in improving organisational culture. Junior doctors are apprehensive about raising concerns because of personal risk to their career trajectory.