Young doctors at Dorset County Hospital have said they feel unsupported and ‘uncertain in their decision making’ on night shifts.

Concerns were raised about the level of support given to inexperienced doctors in a report by the General Medical Council (GMC) published today.

The report was prepared after a visit by the regulator earlier this year, but the GMC has stressed that there have been recent improvements.

A spokesman added that these improvements must be maintained to avoid putting patients at risk and leaving trainee doctors without adequate supervision.

Since the GMC’s visits steps have been taken to address the issues, by hospital management and by HEE Wessex. Monitoring is ongoing to ensure standards are maintained.

Professor Colin Melville, Director of Education and Standards at the GMC, said: “We set high standards for medical education and make no excuses for doing so. Patients rightly expect and deserve good care from their doctors, and it is important doctors have access to the support they need to do the job well.

“The issues raised at Dorset County Hospital were a concern. We are satisfied that since our visit steps have been taken to address those issues, and it is important now that those improvements are maintained.”

Overall, the GMC found that trainees and trainers are well supported at Dorset County Hospital, and that senior managers there are responsive to any concerns and take steps to address them.

A confidential support service provided across the region by HEE Wessex, where staff are trained in coaching and careers support, was particularly praised by the GMC.

A spokesperson for Dorset County Hospital said: “We were happy to host the GMC as part of their Regional Review of Medical Education across the Wessex region.“We were delighted that the GMC heard all trainees and trainers spoken to would recommend working at Dorset County Hospital, and that trainees and trainers are well supported as clinicians and educators.“The GMC also heard that we are highly rated by medical students, with them reporting that senior management are responsive to concerns and work hard to address them. Junior doctors also reported that they enjoy their work and feel valued, which aligns with our Trust values.

“We were invited to speak at the Regional Feedback Event in light of our effective governance systems, in order to spread good practice across Wessex.

“On the day of the visit we responded immediately to the concern about junior doctors feeling unsupported at night. The GMC were satisfied with our response, and measures were introduced to address this, including the issue of induction. These measures and their effects are being monitored internally, but we will also be feeding back to the GMC in order to evidence our ongoing work on this.”

Dr Cameron Spence, BMA Junior Doctor Representative at Dorset County Hospital, said: “The Doctors in Training at DCH find it to be an inclusive, friendly and welcoming place to work and learn. We are also pleased to be working in an environment where all of our concerns have been taken seriously and resolved quickly.”