A Two-Year Regional Attitudinal Survey of Postgraduate Medical Trainees in North West England: A Regional Companion to National Benchmarking.

BACKGROUND: The General Medical Council (GMC) National Training Survey (NTS) provides comprehensive national benchmarking of postgraduate medical training in the UK and has consistently highlighted high levels of satisfaction with supervision alongside persistent challenges relating to trainee wellbeing, discrimination, and workforce pressures. While invaluable, its national scope limits detailed interrogation of region-specific training processes and the evaluation of local interventions. This study reports a two-year regional trainee attitudinal survey from the North West of England, designed to supplement national GMC findings through increased granularity and to explore changes following local initiatives. METHODS: A structured, anonymous survey was distributed to all postgraduate medical trainees in the North West Deanery in 2023 and repeated in 2024. The questionnaire covered demographics, teaching and learning opportunities, supervisory support, usability of the new curricula, access to study budgets, and experiences of discrimination. Responses were analysed descriptively and compared across years. Findings were interpreted alongside GMC NTS results from 2023-2025. RESULTS: Responses were received from 166 trainees in 2023 and 151 in 2024. Modest numerical improvements in satisfaction with teaching opportunities and high, stable satisfaction with supervisory support were observed, consistent with national trends. The proportion of trainees working less-than-full-time increased significantly. Although numerical reductions in reported discrimination were seen following the introduction of bystander training, these changes were not statistically significant. Persistent challenges regarding study budget sufficiency and reimbursement were observed across both survey years. CONCLUSIONS: This regional survey demonstrates trends aligned with national GMC findings while providing additional, deanery-level insight into locally modifiable aspects of training. Regional trainee surveys represent a valuable adjunct to national benchmarking by enabling contextualised interpretation of national data and cautious evaluation of local interventions.