26.06.13
Doctor burnout risking patient safety – BMA
Doctors are under significant stress from rising workloads, the British Medical Association (BMA) has heard at its annual conference.
Dr Jamie Green, a trainee GP in Northampton, said: “We are expected to do more in less time and on a smaller budget. Stress and burnout can affect us all: a cross word with a colleague, that poor consultation with the patient, that procedure that seems more difficult than expected.
“But the impact of doctor burnout can be so much more severe. There are safeguards in place for pilots and lorry drivers to prevent them causing loss of live with large, dangerous machines. But how much more dangerous do you want to get than a scalpel or prescription pad?
“Stress and burnout in doctors can be catastrophic, putting our patients at risk while ruining the careers of our students and doctors at all levels.”
Doctors are also forced to ask patients ‘irrelevant’ questions of no medical significance, the conference heard.
Chair of the BMA’s GP committee, Dr Laurence Buckman said: “General practice is stretched beyond capacity, saddled with box-ticking administration, unrealistic workload and declining resources.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: “We have invested in 6,000 more doctors and are increasing the number of GPs to provide people with care in the local community and away from hospital.”
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