Doctor morale has plummeted – major report

iStock/monkeybusinessimages

Doctors suffered a massive reduction in morale last year – with GPs especially hard hit, according to the findings of a major survey published today.

The findings show a “vicious cycle” of pressures that aggravate workforce shortages – leading to more pressure, the General Medical Council warned.

The survey found that 44% of doctors reported finding it hard to provide sufficient care “regularly” last year. This compared with 25% in the pandemic years of 2021 and 2020.

The proportion of doctors taking specific steps to leave the NHS doubled last year – from 7% to 15%.

The proportion of doctors satisfied with their work fell to 50% last year, a 20 percentage point reduction. The proportion of GPs saying this fell from 51% to 38%.

The GMC report, historically, examines the state of education and training – and it now finds that trainers are suffering badly. 51% reported experiencing compromised care and 18% said they were not supported by senior medical staff.