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All Cut Up - 8 Out of 10 Aspiring Surgeons Say Training Ruined Their Relationships

07 December 2025

• Trainee surgeons work up to 100% more hours than 9-5ers
• 90% report burnout
• 81.5% report that romantic relationships have suffered due to training load
• 77% report relationship issues with family 82% have seen friendships suffer and fail

The UK’s sole surgical trade union has reacted to an alarming report which shows the true, non-financial cost of training on surgeons, with over 80% reporting significant and potentially devastating effects on family, romantic relationships, and even close friendships, and 90% saying they are experiencing burnout.

The Confederation of British Surgery (CBS www.cbsgb.co.uk), which is the UK’s only trade union to be recognised under UK law to protect the welfare of surgeons, has responded to a report released by The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT - https://asit.org) which highlights that our surgical trainees are burnt out, isolated, sleep deprived and missing meals, yet still expected to be able to function safely and operate on patients. These previously unrecognised stresses on trainee surgeons, outlined in ASiT’s The Cost of Surgical Training (CoST) Report – Non-Financial, underline the urgent need for psychological and occupational support. (1)

CBS’s clinical psychologist-in-residence, Dr. Richard Sherry, says:

"The findings of the report speak to the real practical, physical, and emotional impact of training surgeons' experience when proper care is not put into these trainees' wellbeing. 76.8% in ASiT stated that training has had a negative impact on them, and an even greater number, 84.3%, have said that their mental health has suffered directly as a result of their surgical training. These are alarmingly high numbers of the population sample, communicating that these are not healthy occupational environments.”

Many surgical trainees also find themselves moving hospitals and homes regularly, putting further pressure on their personal lives, relationships and support groups, with long night shifts and relocations making sustaining ‘normal’ relationships difficult. Surgical trainee Dr Roberta Garau says;

“I started training myself and my doctor partner worked in different trusts. Annual leave was allocated and despite asking months in advance for specific dates off together, they were never granted. We did not have a single weekend off together for months. It ultimately lead to the end of the relationship.”

The report, which surveyed 459 surgical trainees, also highlights that 89.3% have missed important family events due to rota changes or clinical duties; 62.2% have missed events due to research, audits or exams (non-patient-facing work); 8 out of 10 regularly work more than their contracted hours; two-thirds report chronic sleep deprivation; 1 in 3 skip meals during shifts, and almost 90% report burnout. Over 40% of those who responded say they have considered leaving surgery, backed up by a 2023 RCS England UK Surgical Workforce Census Report, in which 50% said they had considered leaving in the year prior. (2) UK surgical training can last 10-15 years, severely impacting wellbeing and workforce retention. These factors result in increased cost to the NHS, with trainees forced to take sick leave or abandon their training altogether.

Dr Katerina Gkorila, Plastic Surgery Resident, Thames Valley Deanery & ASiT Executive Council Member, says:

“I couldn’t visit my grandmother when she was critically ill in hospital, and then had to miss her funeral. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make, but with just days before my higher surgical training interview, delaying it or travelling wasn’t an option – securing my training number was essential for my future as a plastic surgeon, and I knew my family would understand the sacrifice.”

Surgical trainees Aqua and Ollie say;

“We both worked as hard as we could to secure highly competitive surgical training posts, some of the most competitive there are in the country. Unfortunately for both of us, taking them meant living hours apart, or one of us giving up the opportunities we'd been working towards for years - delaying starting a family, buying a home, or even living together at all. The system can be unrelentingly cruel at times and while the NHS must ultimately serve patients and the population, it's easy to wonder why we rely on so many doctors sacrificing their happiness and wellbeing as part of that process.”

ASiT president, Raiyyan Aftab says:

It is apparent that every surgeon is sacrificing something on their training journey. It is shocking and saddening that training to become a surgeon comes along with such personal sacrifices; this is an unsustainable human cost. We are calling for immediate change - for NHS leaders, policymakers and training bodies to consider and address this non-financial cost of training before we lose more talented surgeons. Surgical trainees always put patient care first - but who's looking after surgical trainees?"

Consultant plastic surgeon and CBS president, Mark Henley, says:

“At CBS we are committed to the welfare of surgeons at every stage of their careers. We are appalled to read these shocking statistics and we back all calls for systemic change.”

CBS offers all its members a 24/7 counselling helpline, with qualified counsellors who can provide a pathway to structured therapy sessions. Members also have access to wellbeing and health support.

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