Wellbeing and resilience support for Resident Doctors “more important than ever”

Access to pastoral, wellbeing and resilience support for Resident Doctors in Scotland is becoming increasingly important to the delivery of safe patient care and the retention of the medical workforce, Medical Protection Society (MPS) said today.

Dr James Thorpe, Medicolegal Consultant at MPS, was speaking ahead of the Resident Doctor Wellbeing Day at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) (25 March 2026).

The conference, supported by MPS’s research arm the MPS Foundation, BMA and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, will see the re-launch of the new Wellbeing App for NHSGGC’s Resident Doctors, signposting them to a range of wellbeing resources quickly and easily. The app was developed by NHSGGC’s Dr Stefanie Lip, Ms Sam Doonan and Dr Linsay McCallum with support from the MPS Foundation. The development of this app also received support from NHSGGC Wellbeing Group.

Dr James Thorpe, said: “A recent MPS survey of over 1000 doctor across the UK found that nearly 1 in 5 doctors (17%) describe their mental wellbeing as ‘of concern’, and almost 3 in 5 (59%) said they are frequently exhausted or burnt out.

“All doctors in Scotland – but particularly early career doctors - face a range of complex pressures day in day out and the need for pastoral, wellbeing and resilience support is becoming more important than ever. I believe retaining the highly skilled and passionate medical workforce we have in Scotland, and delivering the best patient care possible, is dependent on it.

“Recognising and managing burnout, learning how to navigate difficult situations, understanding the impact of sleep deprivation and mentoring, are all examples of things that are vital when it comes to managing doctors’ mental wellbeing and it is encouraging to see all these issues and more being discussed at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Wellbeing Day for Resident Doctors, organised by Dr Lewis Hughes and Dr Linsay McCallum.

“I am delighted MPS’s research arm – the MPS Foundation – has supported this conference, and the development of NHSGGC’s Wellbeing App as part of the grant received by Dr Linsay McCallum, Dr Stefanie Lip and Ms Sam Doonan. The daily demands of the job means many doctors can struggle to find the support they need, when they need it, and this app will help in tackling that issue.

“The principle by which this app works could be easily transferable to other health boards and trusts, and it is great to see NHSGGC - the largest NHS organisation in Scotland – leading the way when it comes to supporting staff wellbeing especially for Resident Doctors.

“At MPS, we see firsthand how poor mental wellbeing affects doctors personally, and how it can impact on patient care. Without early support, mental wellbeing issues can also result in doctors needing extended time off work or quitting medicine altogether. It is an issue that requires careful consideration by healthcare employers, and long-term thinking.”

Dr Linsay McCallum, added: “This conference gives an opportunity for resident grade doctors to come together to discuss issues of wellbeing and understand the resources available to staff within NHSGGC. The conference will also see resident grade doctors present the results from their wellbeing projects that they have undertaken, promoting the sharing of ideas and learning. Hopefully this will the first in a series of conferences focussing on these important issues.”

END

Notes to editors

1075 MPS UK members participated in the survey referenced, which took place in January 2025.

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About MPS Foundation

The MPS Foundation invests in research, analysis, education and training which enables medical and dental practitioners around the world to provide better care for their patients and improve their own wellbeing. The MPS Foundation is part of The Medical Protection Society Limited (MPS), the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals with 130 years of global healthcare experience and expertise supporting more than 350,000 doctors, dentists, and healthcare professionals worldwide.

About MPS

The Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”) is the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. We protect and support the professional interests of more than 300,000 members around the world. Membership provides access to expert advice and support and can also provide, depending on the type of membership required, the right to request indemnity for any complaints or claims arising from professional practice.

Our in-house experts assist with the wide range of legal and ethical problems that arise from professional practice. This can include clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical and dental council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries.

Our philosophy is to support safe practice in medicine and dentistry by helping to avert problems in the first place. We do this by promoting risk management through our workshops, E-learning, clinical risk assessments, publications, conferences, lectures and presentations.

MPS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MPS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.