The BMA carried out a survey of disabled doctors and medical students in 2020 that detailed the uphill battles and difficulties faced by our colleagues with disabilities, neurodivergence and long-term conditions. This made for some harrowing reading with accounts of bullying, harassment and outright fear amongst these colleagues. 

In the intervening five years, BMA has worked for change in this area: lobbying trusts and governments; making recommendations based on Freedom of Information requests; and simply increasing awareness of the fact that disability, neurodivergence and ill health affects the medical and medical student population just the same as it affects everybody else. A fact that appears often forgotten by healthcare providers.  

Unfortunately, the social context for this work has also changed over the past five years, and not for the better.  

Although reported incidents of disability hate incidents have fallen slightly in Northern Ireland in 2024/2025, across England and Wales they are 8.5% higher now than they were in 2020. These crimes are also acknowledged to be under reported with the shocking statistic that only 1.3% of reported disability hate crimes result in prosecution.  

Increasing numbers of senior politicians from both sides of the political fence are making inferences of disabled people committing fraudulent behaviour. This year alone, former Westminster secretary for work and pensions Liz Kendall said disabled people were 'taking the mickey', while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch stated that there must be a 'crackdown on people exploiting the system'. And yet the Westminster government itself found an effective rate of 0% fraud in claims for Personal Independence Payments.  

Add to this the weaponisation of schemes which benefit disabled people, such as the removal of 'luxury cars' from the Motability scheme, with the narrative that the taxpayer was funding disabled people to drive in indulgence. The reality is that the scheme user self-funds vehicles over and above the value of the most basic car allowing choice rather than limitation. 

This type of weaponisation and demonisation of people with disabilities, neurodivergence and long-term conditions has meant that there is a societal shift toward distrust of these people. Sadly therefore, despite all of the good work carried out by our Association over the past five years, our survey results in 2025 (link to the report) are no less harrowing and some responses are more negative now than they were in 2020. 

The survey found that ableism is rife within healthcare, with 70% of respondents finding it an issue in their workplace. As doctors we often believe we should be able to 'fix' our patients. This can lead to the perception that our colleagues with disabilities, neurodivergence or long-term conditions should also be “fixed” in order to attain the same standards as our able bodied or neurotypical colleagues.  

This perception of imperfection comes with the inference of being a risk to patients. This is seen in our GMC guidance ‘Welcomed And Valued’ which states that: 'Having a health condition or disability also does not mean there is an inherent risk to patient safety. A reasonable adjustment or support measure requested for a doctor with a health condition or disability is not inherently a risk to patients.' 

A similar view is expressed by NHS England which stated in its recent Medical Training Review: Phase 1 diagnostic report that 'ensuring reasonable adjustments (those that do not have a negative impact on patient care) can be challenging and stressful for doctors'. The inference is that doctors with disability, neurodivergence or long-term health conditions are more likely than not to pose a risk to patients, patient safety and patient care and this can lead to suspicion and distrust when in fact, it is abjectly not the case. 

Given this backdrop of ableism and demonisation, it is not any wonder that the BMA survey reports that rates of disclosure of disability / neurodivergence / long-term health condition in the workplace has dropped by 10 percentage points from 77% in 2020 to only 67% in 2025. In 2020 41% of respondents felt their disclosure had improved their work life. In 2025 that figure is only 33%.  

Doctors with disabilities, neurodivergence and long-term health conditions bring a whole different perspective to patient care. They have often been on the receiving end of healthcare themselves and therefore have an understanding of the patient role that a doctor who has had the benefit of wellness all their lives cannot have. This brings an empathy and an understanding that patients appreciate and benefit from, yet our survey demonstrates that 54% of respondents have either left or considered leaving their job or the NHS in the past two years. In a time of staffing crisis, we cannot afford to lose staff. I would argue that we can never afford to lose the richness and diversity brought to our workforce by our colleagues with these added extras. 

So on this International Day Of Persons With Disabilities, I encourage you to read our survey in full. Read the real-life accounts and experiences of doctors and medical students – your colleagues and future colleagues. Spend a few moments in their shoes and consider how you can support the one in four of your team members who has a disability whether you are aware of it or not.

Consider whether you have an ableist outlook and reframe the picture – strip away the barriers that prevent your disabled colleagues from bringing the best to their patients. Make a change to show the value your colleagues with disabilities, long term health conditions and neurodivergence bring. 

Change the narrative. We are all valuable. 

Read the report