The General Medical Council (GMC) has today (19 July 2022) published the results of its national training survey. The survey revealed that the backlog of appointments caused by the pandemic is taking a toll on doctors’ mental health and wellbeing.
Commenting on this, Dr Naeem Nazem, head of medical division at MDDUS, said: “The results are distressing but sadly unsurprising as they reflect the findings of our earlier UK wide survey of MDDUS members.
“A third of members told us their current level of health and wellbeing was worse than in comparison to the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020, with nearly half experiencing a higher level of stress and anxiety at work.
“As the NHS continues to recover from the pandemic, it is crucial that support for trainee doctors and trainers is at the heart of future workforce policy decisions.”
Dr John Holden, Chief Medical Officer at MDDUS, said: “We welcome the news that the GMC is making employers and postgraduate training leads aware of this worsening trend and taking action.
“It's vital that the GMC take a similar approach when revising the Good medical practice (GMP) guidelines and recognise the importance of organisational leadership and context.
“There are encouraging recommendations in the revised GMP consultation draft, but resource pressures may make these difficult for medical professionals to deliver. If the recommendations are truly to support doctors rather than act as a rule book, the support of employers, educators and government will be necessary.”
ENDS
The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) is a mutual organisation that protects the professional interests of more than 54,000 doctors and dentists across the United Kingdom, offering access to indemnity, support and legal advice.
For further information please contact Lisa Walker, communications manager, on lwalker@mddus.com or 07976 886552.
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