Stress 'means half of GPs suffer from burnout'

[joebloggs]

my wife been 6wks into a 4 month placement working as a GP, after a incident the other day, she will no longer consider applying for training as a GP . if after 6wks she has had enough i can understand how fulltime GP's are stressed


Almost half of family doctors are suffering from burnout because of stress, say researchers.

Male GPs seem to be at significantly greater risk of burnout than women doctors, according to the study published yesterday.

Those who work in group practices and those who repeatedly see the same patients also seem to have a higher risk of burnout.

In the largest study of its kind ever conducted in Britain, 564 out of 789 eligible GPs working in Essex were assessed using a validated measure, the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

The questionnaire assesses burnout by measuring emotional exhaustion; ‘depersonalisation’, expressed as negativity and cynicism; and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment.

Dr Peter Orton, of Aviation Medica, said: 'The finding could be the result of group practice creating extra demands on practitioners while raising the possibility of interpersonal tensions and conflicts.

'Regardless of cause, these findings are worrying as group practices are increasing in size and number.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...#ixzz1lSFv2NVf

[Dedworth]

My mates wife is a Doc of some 16/17 years standing but operates as a virolgy boffin at a London Teaching Hospital commuting in from Bucks every day. I reckon she should set up as an out of hours locum type - competing against the sloppy German Doctors the NHS are scandalously paying vast sums to

[joebloggs]

my wife is as tough as a filipina you could get nothing phases her, but this really shook her up and she was worried about her own personal safety, at the end of the day its a job , you try and help people

[Doc Alan]

The article quote by the Daily Mail was first published in BMJopen. ( http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e...en_current_tab ).
It was limited to one county in England, can’t be extrapolated to other parts of the UK, was a postal survey only completed by 71% of GPs ( less than half of them had “ burnout “ ), and a subset of 38 GPs where patients were questioned showed no reduction in patient ratings of consultations.
Despite this study’s limitations and exaggerated reporting by the Mail, it’s already well known that medicine is a stressful profession. It’s not limited to GPs, although they would be ill-advised to take on more responsibilities best suited to managers. British GPs already earn more than any EU counterpart. Publications like this should not put off trainees.
Members might – understandably - not be too sympathetic to doctors. Stress is a normal response to events thought to be threatening. The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you ( “fight-or-flight reaction ). It’s when stress levels get out of control that it becomes harmful. Major life changes, work ( or lack of it ), financial problems, visa applications – all take their toll. Just how much stress is too much varies from person to person. Long term stress can lead to serious health problems. Early symptoms include memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgement, constant worrying, seeing only the negative, moodiness, frequent colds, loss of sex drive and smoking or drinking too much alcohol. See also :-
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress/...roduction.aspx
http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm

[Arthur Little]

... two male GPs based at the surgery where I'm registered both gave up medical practice prior to their 65th birthdays. Nothing to do with MY being one of their patients ... honestly!

[Arthur Little]

Interestingly ... so I'm led to believe ... ... one of those doctors - previously known to be vehemently opposed to any claims put forward as to the beneficial effects of herbal medicines - moved north, following his retiral, to set up a naturopathic clinic specialising in yoga and meditation.

[Doc Alan]

... two male GPs based at the surgery where I'm registered both gave up medical practice prior to their 65th birthdays. Nothing to do with MY being one of their patients ... honestly!

Of course it was nothing to do with you Arthur !

[lastlid]

I used to live in the Sevenways surgery! Then it moved "next door", then it moved to a modern building close to the Chester road, adjacent to the Catholic school.