Evaluating the well-being of ENT trainees in the UK: survey findings.

OBJECTIVE: The Association of Otolaryngologists in Training wanted to assess trainee well-being. METHODS: A survey was developed that incorporated the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and the Brief Resilience Scale plus questions on working conditions. RESULTS: There were 190 responses and while most respondents had low or moderate levels of burnout, 15 per cent had high personal burnout and 13 per cent had high work-related burnout. The mean well-being score for respondents was lower than for the whole population mean. In addition, 39 per cent of respondents reported their mental well-being had been slightly affected in a negative way by their working environment and conditions in the last 6 months, and 26 per cent reported it being significantly affected negatively. Of these, 43 respondents reported an impact on patient safety. CONCLUSION: This first-ever survey of ENT trainees in the UK identified several areas of concern, including how the working environment and conditions affect trainee well-being and impact patient safety.