{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,6]],"date-time":"2025-10-06T09:15:29Z","timestamp":1759742129736,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Royal College of Psychiatrists","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,3]],"date-time":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727913600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BJPsych Bull"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"S2056469424000809_sec_a1\"><jats:title>Aims and method<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study aimed to explore the experiences and support requirements of psychiatrists undergoing investigations within their mental health organisation. An anonymous online survey was distributed to all non-training psychiatrists registered as members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"S2056469424000809_sec_a2\" sec-type=\"results\"><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Of the 815 psychiatrists who responded to the survey, 287 (35%) had been investigated. The majority (76%) were unaware of the concerns before being notified, 36% lacked understanding and 62% experienced timeline deviations. Furthermore, 34% had concerns over conflicts of interest, with 52% perceiving the investigation as unfair, 62% were not informed of their rights. Many respondents reported feeling isolated and lacking support and experienced significant psychological distress, such as symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Suggestions for improvement included better communication, transparency, impartiality, adherence to timelines, proactive support and oversight, and opportunities for learning and reparation post-investigation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"S2056469424000809_sec_a3\"><jats:title>Clinical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Mental health service providers should recognise the multifaceted nature of complaints and provide comprehensive support and guidance to psychiatrists undergoing investigations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1192\/bjb.2024.80","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,3]],"date-time":"2024-10-03T01:34:13Z","timestamp":1727919253000},"page":"307-314","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Experiences and support needs of psychiatrists under investigation"],"prefix":"10.1192","volume":"49","author":[{"given":"Swapna","family":"Kongara","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal College of Psychiatrists"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Millie","family":"Tamworth","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Psychiatry, University College London"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6989-8689","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rachel","family":"Gibbons","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal College of Psychiatrists"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"170","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2014-006687"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref20","unstructured":"20 Klein, R . Is Much NHS Discipline Unfair and Pointless? Middlesex University London, 2019 (https:\/\/mdxminds.com\/2019\/07\/16\/is-much-nhs-discipline-pointless\/)."},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-011711"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02668730000700051"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref16","first-page":"96","volume-title":"Ring of Fire: Primitive Affects and Object Relations in Group Psychotherapy","author":"Hinshelwood","year":"2003"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref2","unstructured":"2 General Medical Council (GMC). Compendium of GMC Published Findings Relating to Fitness to Practise Rates. GMC, 2022 (https:\/\/www.gmc-uk.org\/-\/media\/gmc-site\/news-and-media\/fairness-review-2022\/compendium_of_gmc_published_findings_relating_to_fitness_to_practise_rates.pdf)."},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref3","unstructured":"3 NHS England. Workforce Race Equality Standard Data Reporting \u2013 December 2017. NHS England, 2017 (https:\/\/www.england.nhs.uk\/publication\/workforce-race-equality-standard-data-reporting-december-2017\/)."},{"volume-title":"Culture of Complaint","year":"1993","author":"Hughes","key":"S2056469424000809_ref1"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref6","unstructured":"6 Medical Protection Society (MPS). MPS Survey: GMC Investigations Impact on the Health of 72% of Doctors. 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GMC, 2021 (https:\/\/www.gmcuk.org\/about\/what-we-do-and-why\/data-and-research\/research-and-insight-archive\/encouraging-engagement-frompractitioners-during-a-fitness-to-practise-investigation)."},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref9","first-page":"U972","article-title":"The immediate and long-term impact on New Zealand doctors who receive patient complaints","volume":"117","author":"Cunningham","year":"2004","journal-title":"N Z Med J"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bja.2023.8"},{"volume-title":"A Practical Guide for Responding to Concerns About Medical Practice","year":"2019","author":"Conlon","key":"S2056469424000809_ref4"},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref15","unstructured":"15 Harding, D . Learning Lessons to Improve our Peoples Practice. 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Freedom to Speak Up, 2015 (http:\/\/freedomtospeakup.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/F2SU_web.pdf)."},{"key":"S2056469424000809_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2018-023576"}],"container-title":["BJPsych Bulletin"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S2056469424000809","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,6]],"date-time":"2025-10-06T08:30:51Z","timestamp":1759739451000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S2056469424000809\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,3]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]}},"alternative-id":["S2056469424000809"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1192\/bjb.2024.80","relation":{},"ISSN":["2056-4694","2056-4708"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"2056-4694"},{"type":"electronic","value":"2056-4708"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,3]]},"assertion":[{"value":"\u00a9 The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}]}}