The key areas targeted for more detailed analysis in the 2025 round are listed below.
These reports were also considered by the relevant educational committees in the College.
Reports
Subspecialty Training
Summary: Themes from the 2024 were used to guide the direction of the 2025 report. Ongoing notable themes from the 2024 report which are explored in the 2025 report include curriculum demands, access to training, work-life balance and workplace culture.
Recommendations from the 2024 were reviewed, and where measurable, a summary of met and unmet recommendations are addressed in the report.
Authors: Dr Emma Howe, Reproductive Medicine and Surgery SST, Yorkshire and the Humber.
Dr Hannah Judah, Maternal and Fetal Medicine SST, South London.
Dr Heather J Agnew, RCOG Subspecialty Fellow in Gynaecological Oncology, University College Dublin-Gynaecological Oncology Group, Dublin, Ireland.
Dr Nazish Abbas, Urogynaecology SST, Severn.
Supervision by: Miss Srividhya Sankaran, Consultant O&G, Subspecialist in Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Special Interest Training
Summary: The introduction of Curriculum 2024 has expanded Special Interest Training into the ST5 year. Results from TEF 2025 indicate increased involvement with this process, with a new cohort of trainees now involved in Special Interest Training. Whilst a small minority do not feel positive about these changes, it’s reassuring that overall the curriculum as relevant to Special interest training has been well-received.
Authors: Dr Steven Martin (ST6 Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Dr Lavanya Rao (ST7 Greater Glasgow and Clyde)
Supervisor/Author: Dr Lesley Curry (SITM Director South East Scotland)
Differential Attainment
Summary: This report provides an overview of the 2025 TEF experiences of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees across the UK, with a continued focus on differential attainment.
The findings show an increasingly diverse workforce, with steady growth in international medical graduates and trainees from Asian, Black, and Arab backgrounds. Women remain the majority in O&G, and flexible training is now well established with around four in ten trainees working less than full time.
Author: Dr Samah Mohamed Ahmed Yousif, ST7 Trainee, Wessex,
Supervision by: Dr Leena Maddock Khan, Consultant O&G, RCOG Differential Attainment Officer
Educational Supervision
Summary: Overall, there has been a notable improvement in trainees’ ability to receive adequate supervision. In 2025, 69.2% of trainees achieved adequate supervision, an increase from 66.2% in 2024. A substantial number of regions (12 out of 16) experienced an increase in adequate supervision. Notably, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex experienced a remarkable 13.3 percentage point increase from the previous year, closely followed by Wales and North Central and East London, which saw an 11.6 and 10.3 percentage point increase in adequate supervision respectively.
Authors: Dr Shen Chuen Khaw, ST4 trainee, NHS Education for Scotland, Dr Nesreen Badr ST6 trainee, NHS Education for Scotland.
Supervision by: Dr Mrs Rebecca Thompson, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Associate Medical Director Women & Children’s Division, Mid-Cheshire NHS Foundation Trust
Gynaecological Training
Summary: Looking back at last year’s report, it appears that training opportunities have not substantially changed, and it remains difficult to determine whether any observed improvements or declines are statistically significant. Early-stage trainees continue to face significant challenges in acquiring basic surgical skills. While exposure to intermediate procedures shows some improvement, access to advanced procedures remains inconsistent, and opportunities for robotic surgery training are still extremely limited and highly variable across regions.
Authors: Dr Lavanya Venkatesh, ST1 trainee, HEE Wessex; Dr Olusola Abodunrin, ST5 trainee Health Education and Improvement Wales,
Supervision by: Dr Fiona Clarke Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, East Lancashire NHS Trust
Obstetric Training
Summary: This report highlights that high quality training in Obstetrics is of fundamental importance to our specialty. The GMC National Training Survey 2024 results published earlier this year showed that half of Obstetrics & Gynaecology trainees (49%) were exhausted in the morning at the thought of another day at work. 62% rated the intensity of their work by day as very heavy / heavy compared to 43% of all trainees. This rating of intensity of workload was second highest of all specialties demonstrating the necessity of ensuring that trainee feedback is considered and improvements made to optimise trainees’ experience of training.
Author: Dr Scott Colvin, ST5 Trainee/OOPE, NHS Education for Scotland & Dr Karim Botros, ST5 Trainee, HEE Wessex Deanery
Supervision by: Dr Kirstyn Brogan, Consultant Obstetrician, NHS Education for Scotland
Wellbeing and Burnout
Summary: For the first time, the 2025 TEF survey implemented the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) tool to identify trainees’ risk of burnout (high, moderate and low risk), using the seven work-related questions. As such, this report provides a snapshot of the risk of burnout within the O&G trainee workforce. Overall, high burnout risk was observed in 15% of trainees, 47% were at a moderate risk, and the remaining 39% were identified as being at a low risk of burnout.
Authors: Authors: Dr Rosie Tomlins, ST7, West of Scotland NHS Education for Scotland; Dr Nazish Zulfiqar, ST3, HEE Wessex; Hannah Manwell, Workforce Co-ordinator, RCOG
Workplace Behaviours
Summary: The 2025 TEF data reveals a notable increase in bullying and undermining behaviours, with 13.5% of trainees reporting being subjected to negative behaviours in comparison to 10% in 2024 and 12% in 2023, bringing the rate closer to the peak of 15.3% seen in 2021. There were demographic differences in the exposure to undermining behaviours, with International Medical Graduates (IMGs) being more than twice as likely to experience these compared to UK graduates (IMGs, 21.4%; UKGs 10%).
Authors: Dr Anna King, ST6, South East Scotland; Dr Khaing Thu ST4, Wessex; Dr Sophie Bracke, ST3, London