The eighth survey of RCP fellows and members shows that that despite the positive news about vaccinations, the pressures placed on doctors by the pandemic are taking a significant toll.
While a third of respondents report feeling supported (35%) and determined (37%), the majority of doctors (64%) feel tired or exhausted, and many are worried (48%).
Despite 85% of respondents having had the first dose of a vaccine, only 16% have had both doses. Over half (58%) are either very worried or slightly worried about having to wait 12 weeks for their next jab, an issue which has caused considerable anxiety within the profession.
“There is no way to dress it up – it is pretty awful at the moment in the world of medicine. Hospital admissions are at the highest ever level, staff are exhausted, and although there is light at the end of the tunnel, that light seems a long way away.
“I am extremely concerned about the mental health of frontline doctors, who may be suffering from burnout and a feeling of not being valued. I'm not sure that before the pandemic many physicians would have contemplated that they might need formal mental health support in their career.
Source: www.rcplondon.ac.uk