Staff shortages are affecting doctors’ mental health, survey finds

Most doctors fear that staff shortages threaten patient safety, and over half say that they are affecting their mental health, a survey has found.The Medical Protection Society (MPS) sent a survey to 5495 doctors and received 861 responses (a 15% response rate). Most doctors who responded (95%, 818) said that they thought that staff shortages were a major threat to patient safety, and just under half (49%, 422) said that, as a result, they had questioned their career. Over half (54%, 465) of respondents said that the impact of staff shortages on patient safety was affecting their mental wellbeing. Of those, 79% (367) said the effect on their mental wellbeing was moderate or significant. Just under two fifths (38%, 327) of doctors surveyed said that fear of medicolegal issues arising from staff shortages was detrimental to their current mental wellbeing.Commenting anonymously on the survey, one doctor said, “It is demoralising…
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