The 2025 Focus on physicians survey is a joint survey run by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Royal College of Physicians in London and Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
There were 2,038 respondents to this year’s survey, which ran between 12 March–2 June 2025. The three colleges will use the survey data to inform their work. Among the headline results, the survey found that:
- consultant physicians are seeing widespread rota gaps and vacancies
- most consultants say rota gaps are harming patient care
- almost half of consultants’ enjoyment of work has declined
- better IT and lighter workloads would boost wellbeing
- enjoyment trends vary by specialty and region
- nearly a third of consultants have brought forward their retirement
- those returning after retirement plan diverse roles
- consultants remain confident in delivering inpatient care
- specialty work dominates inpatient time for most consultants
- same day emergency care and virtual wards are growing areas
- delayed discharges affect most hospitals.
Read the full write up and results: https://www.rcp.ac.uk/policy-and-campaigns/policy-documents/national-survey-of-consultant-physicians-shows-doctors-are-under-growing-pressure-across-the-nhs/
Responding to the findings, College President Professor Hany Eteiba, said:
"As the system continues to ask for more with less, we are concerned to see a stark decline in the wellbeing of doctors. These findings show the consequences we face when doctors feel consistently undervalued while working under increasingly difficult circumstances. We risk rapidly losing vital expertise in the aging workforce without the right support in place to attract new consultants to the profession.
"The findings show the solutions start with the basics, improving IT and lightening the load to prioritise wellbeing."
Professor Mumtaz Patel, President of the Royal College of Physicians in London said:
"Doctors are working under intolerable and unsustainable pressure. Our latest survey reveals widespread rota gaps and persistent vacancies, leaving consultants overstretched and struggling to deliver safe, high-quality care.
"Equally concerning is the toll on morale. Nearly half of consultants say their enjoyment of work has declined, and almost a third have accelerated their retirement plans. This represents a significant loss of experience and leadership within the NHS, a system increasingly reliant on the goodwill of a workforce now at breaking point.
"While the expansion of same-day emergency care and virtual wards is welcome, service redesign and technological innovation alone cannot solve the fundamental issue that there simply aren’t enough doctors to meet growing demand.
"The government must act now to create conditions that retain experienced clinicians, enabling them to mentor the next generation and ensuring patients have access to a health service that is properly staffed, supported and sustainable."
Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:
"These findings paint a stark picture of an overstretched medical workforce. With 59% of consultants reporting vacancies at their own grade, 83% saying rota gaps are harming patient care, and nearly one third accelerating their retirement plans, the current system is unsustainable. Unless urgent action is taken to boost headcount, reduce clinical workloads, and invest in functioning IT and administrative support, we risk losing experienced doctors faster than we can replace them, to the detriment of both staff wellbeing and patient safety."
Who responded to the 2025 Focus on physicians survey?
Over 2,000 doctors completed this year’s survey. Learn more about the role, location and specialty of those who responded. If you would like more information, please contact MedicalWorkforce.DataInsights@rcp.ac.uk.