Britain faces significant loss of doctors with profession ‘at brink of breaking point’

The General Medical Council have warned that doctors are ‘at the brink of breaking point’ to ensure patient care and the resulting pressures have raised concerns about poor mental health amongst the profession.

A new report by the regulator has said that doctors are planning to leave in ‘unprecedented numbers’ and their survey of 2,600 doctors in the UK found that a fifth are considering reducing their hours within the next three years, 20 per cent are preparing to move abroad to pursue more lucrative careers, and many more are planning early retirement.

The report authors warned “The UK is running out of time to prevent a significant decline in workforce numbers, which risks patient safety.

“The health system now faces a decline in what can be offered and how it is offered by doctors who are prioritising and compromising their work in an effort to maintain standards of care for their patients.

“It shows that doctors are reaching the limit of what can be done.

“Our new evidence reveals the effect of these pressures and the steps doctors are taking to cope.

“The medical profession is at the brink of a breaking point in trying to maintain standards and deliver good patient care.”

Chairman of the GMC, Professor Sir Terence Stephenson, said “Doctors are telling us clearly that the strain that the system is under is having a direct effect on them, and on their plans to continue working in that system.

“We’ve herd from doctors who are referring patients on to other parts of the system because they don’t have the time to deal with their issues, understandably moving the pressure on to other parts of the service.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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