Unparalleled pressure leaves staff on the brink

A new survey from the British Medical Association has stressed how a year of unparalleled pressure has pushed an understaffed and exhausted workforce to the brink.

New figures from the latest BMA tracker survey of doctors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, show that almost 60 per cent of doctors are now suffering from some form of anxiety or depression, with 46 per cent saying their condition had worsened since the start of pandemic.

Of equal concern, 67 per cent of doctors say that current levels of fatigue and exhaustion are higher than normal as they tackle a mounting second wave and a growing backlog of care, on top of the usual seasonal demand.

The doctors’ union fears that the current level of strain being placed on doctors could have a lasting impact on workforce numbers in the wake of the pandemic, with 47 per cent of doctors telling the same BMA survey that they are now more likely to work fewer hours in the future.

A further 27 per cent of doctors said they were now more likely to take early retirement and another 27 per cent are more likely to take a career break. These further reductions to the workforce can sorely be afforded with an existing shortage of more than 8,000 consultants and the number of fully qualified GPs continuing to fall.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA Council, said: “The months ahead will be as challenging, if not more so, as when the virus first peaked in April. We know from our tracker surveys that over four in ten doctors’ mental health has deteriorated during the pandemic, with many exhausted from working flat out without taking adequate leave for over ten months.

“It’s vital that the vaccination programme is delivered as fast as humanly possible, so that both health and care workers and as much of the population can be immunised to relieve our health service from the scourge of Covid-19. This requires proper resourcing of staff, including GPs and primary care teams, who need to be given the space and time to vaccinate and protect the nation.”

He added: “This year the Chancellor must deliver on his promise to ‘give the NHS whatever it needs’.  Ultimately, 2021 needs to be year where doctors feel valued and rewarded for serving the nation in a caring, supportive culture of equal opportunity.”