Third of NHS doctors report burnout and compassion fatigue

A survey recently distributed and conducted by medical royal colleges has raised concerns about excessive workloads within the NHS, with almost a third of doctors surveyed reporting that they are suffering from stress, burnout and ‘compassion fatigue’.

The survey, which has been published in the BMJ Open Journal, also found that GPs and A&E doctors have the highest levels of stress and exhaustion, and are the most likely to feel burnt out.

Chair of the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, said “Years of systemic underfunding and serious workforce shortages mean NHS doctors are working longer hours in highly pressured, understaffed environments, and their wellbeing is suffering as a result.”

A separate study has also found that nearly 20 per cent of doctors who deliver babies have post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing traumatic events in their work. In a survey of 1,095 gynaecologists and obstetricians in the UK, two-thirds said they had encountered distressing situations during labour and birth.

Pauline Slade, Professor in Clinical Psychology, found that PTSD was resulting in staffing problems on maternity units because doctors go on sick leave, and it is believed to be a key factor in the fact that nearly a third of doctors training to specialise in obstetrics give up before they qualify.

A spokesperson from the NHS said “Staff are the lifeblood of the NHS, which is why we are now for the first time offering the most comprehensive national mental health support offer to doctors of any health system in the world and are committed to doing similarly with other staff groups, as part of our NHS long-term plan.”

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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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