NHS doctors say lengthy disciplinary processes have left them feeling suicidal

UK doctors are having suicidal thoughts because disciplinary proceedings against them by their NHS employer take so long to resolve, research has found.

Medics who have been accused of misconduct say the current system of investigating allegations is “brutal” and “humiliating” to go through and can feel “like a witch-hunt”.

Three out of four doctors who had faced proceedings said the length of time it took to conclude them damaged their mental health and led to them suffering anxiety, stress and depression.

Almost nine out of 10 (88%) said they were left feeling angry and frustrated by the disciplinary process. Four out of five were left feeling as if they were “guilty until proven innocent”, with some complaining that they were treated “like a criminal”.

Half of the doctors who recounted their experience as part of the MPS’s study said they had been accused of wrongdoing after raising concerns about patient safety where they worked. That prompted concern that misconduct charges are used as part of a “culture of fear” in the NHS.

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Source: The Guardian, 6 November 2024