Key findings of the census

• Only 52% of posts advertised were filled. For the past eight years, barely half of advertised consultant posts were filled, mostly due to a lack of suitable applicants.
• 36% of consultants described being in control of their workload only ‘sometimes’ or ‘almost never’. 38% said that they worked excessive hours or had an excessive workload ‘almost always’ or ‘most of the time’.
• 35% of consultants had experienced being undermined and 35% had witnessed a colleague being undermined, usually by managers or fellow consultants. This was more common among women and consultants from an ethnic minority.
• Consultants estimate that they work 11% more than they are contracted to work, mainly due to their clinical workload.
• 55% of consultants reported that their morale was worse during the pandemic and only 5% reported that it was better; 69% reported that morale was worse in their department and only 4% reported that it was better.
• The ratio of population size to number of consultant physicians varies widely. Regions with comparatively fewer consultants have the highest rates of unfilled advertised posts and locum consultants.