Medscape UK’s latest online survey of more than 1000 doctors highlights how working through COVID-19 has impacted their mental health and personal lives.
The number of doctors reporting burnout increased to 37% this year from 22% when we last asked in 2018.
“This latest survey absolutely aligns with what the Doctors’ Association UK is hearing from members,” commented Dr Natalie Ashburner, wellbeing lead for the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK).
“NHS staff were already suffering from high rates of burnout and mental illness in the context of a decade of chronic underfunding of services, lack of staff, and erosion of pay and working conditions.”
Danger Pay
More than half of doctors thought overtime or danger pay would be appropriate. Instead, most doctors in England got a 2.8% pay rise said to be in recognition of frontline work, but described as “a metaphorical slap in the face” by the British Medical Association.
As well as burnout, nearly 1 in 5 doctors said they were clinically depressed.
“COVID-19 has drastically exacerbated these pre-existing issues and the result is that dedicated, highly skilled staff have been pushed to the point at which they are unable to cope any longer,” Dr Ashburner said.
View the entire article here: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/940129
