Tangible positive changes are needed across the NHS to protect the wellbeing of junior doctors and secure the long-term future of the medical workforce, a trade union report today has revealed.

Close to three quarters of the 185 junior doctors who responded to the survey said they do not feel supported by their employer in relation to their wellbeing.

A similar proportion also reported feeling concerned for their personal safety, or that of their colleagues, whilst working long hours, with more than 50% confessing they “rarely” or “never” get to take the 30-minute continuous rest break they are entitled to during a typical shift.

Alisdair Gilmour from the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland, which published the report said these issues, that existed long before the pandemic and have now got worse, must be urgently addressed:

“Even before the covid-19 pandemic BMA Scotland had already reported that junior doctors in Scotland were under pressure and concerns were growing for their wellbeing and work-life balance.

“They were at risk of burnout from very early on in their careers and urgent action was needed to improve their working lives.

“Life during the pandemic has only amplified this and many junior doctors are considering how their work impacts upon their personal lives and whether they are able to achieve the work-life balance they need.

“Working conditions need to improve and junior doctors need to feel valued by both their employer and the Scottish government alike.”

The NHS Recovery Plan published in August was criticised by the BMA for a lack of focus on staff retention, and the government’s commitment to recruit doctors into NHS Scotland from abroad will do little to rectify concerns of the existing workforce, the union says.

Half of those who responded to the BMA’s survey reported their current rota contained four consecutive long shifts, with one in five being rostered five or more shifts in a row.

Mr Gilmour, chair of the BMA’s Scottish Junior Doctors Committee acknowledged progress toward safer working hours and patterns for junior doctors in Scotland has been made in recent years, but said “more can, and must be done, to minimise the detrimental effects well evidenced and associated with shift work and fatigue”:

“The recent Scottish Government NHS recovery plan acknowledges that the NHS is struggling and the requirement to put the wellbeing of staff first. However, it does not feature any plan to retain current staff or build the workforce needed for the future – and that is worrying for junior doctors.

“We are asking for tangible changes to working life for junior doctors across Scotland to address this key issue of wellbeing as we recover from this pandemic. To preserve the future medical workforce, we need to evolve – and a transformational change in workplace culture is desperately required.”

 

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