Pressure on NHS is breaking doctors’ morale, says psychiatrist

Dr Julia Patterson of campaign group EveryDoctor tells why she quit health service "cut back to its very bones". 

“Doctors love their jobs, and most wouldn’t do anything else,” she said. “It’s our vocation to care for our patients. However, the level of stress endured by frontline NHS staff is unbelievable. Understaffing leaves doctors feeling isolated and stretched. There is often pressure to take on more patients, to work extra shifts, to stretch themselves thinner and thinner.”

New findings shared exclusively with the Observer by legal support service the Medical Protection Society (MPS) confirm the deep discontent in Britain’s medical profession. It has found that 52% of doctors working in the UK are dissatisfied with their work-life balance, 46% feel guilty about taking time off, and almost 40% believe their employer does not give them the support they need to do their job well.

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Source: The Guardian, 29 September 2019