The UK General Medical Council highlights the centrality of effective communication, reflective practice and the doctor-patient relationship in medical practice. A decline in empathy has been documented as occurring within clinical and early postgraduate years, potentially affecting diagnostic processes and patient engagement. Access to Balint groups can enhance awareness of the patient beyond the medical model, but remains limited at many UK medical schools. This scheme offered Balint groups to Bristol medical students in their first clinical year, demonstrating that this method is relevant beyond psychiatry.

Initial focus groups with medical students indicated that many felt unable to discuss distressing aspects of clinical encounters. During 2013-2014, a Balint scheme run by psychiatry trainees was started for 150 students in their psychiatry placements. During 2014-15, the scheme was introduced to all third-year medical students on their medicine/surgery placement. Balint leaders have group supervision with a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Evaluation of the scheme was based on pre-and post-group questionnaires and leaders’ process notes.

Sixteen groups led by 12 trainees were run twice over the year to serve 246 medical students. Two example cases are discussed here. Students appreciated the chance to discuss complex encounters with patients in a supportive peer environment, and work through a range of emotionally challenging issues.

Novel aspects of this work include the implementation of Balint groups within medicine and surgery placements; the enrolment of psychiatry trainees as leaders with group supervision and leadership training workshops from the UK Balint Society; and the scale of the scheme.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.