Stress results in one in four NHS doctors suffering from mental health issues

According to survey carried out by the British Medical Association, over a quarter of NHS medical practitioners have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and two in five are suffering from emotional and psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, stress and emotional distress.

The BMA also said that the pressure of working within the NHS was triggering an ‘alarming mental health crisis’.

Professor Dinesh Bhugra, president of the BMA, said “While there is no denying that being a doctor is a challenging and demanding role, too often the line of what can be considered routine pressures of the job has most definitely been crossed and the consequence is a workforce that has been pushed to literal breaking point.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health, said “Our upcoming People Plan will lay out the actions we will undertake to overhaul the mental health and wellbeing support on offer for all NHS staff.

“Alongside the BMA, we recently announced improvements to shared parental leave arrangements for doctors – part of our commitment to improve working conditions to make the NHS an employer fit for the 21st century.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, 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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