Depression and mental ill health high in England’s Doctors.
In a breakthrough story in the New Day daily UK newspaper, they announce that mental illness hits 8 in 10 Doctors – meaning 82% of doctors in the England have had symptoms. More shocking is that less than half seek help. Pressurised workloads has caused an endemic sickness at the core of the “creaking NHS” Dr Clare Gerada used an unusual and somewhat strange metaphor to say “Our health services is being held together with sellotape and brown paper”.
In an interview with Dr Matt Piccaver aged 37 who is a married GP with children in Suffolk said he has worked as a Dr for 11 years and can’t envisage doing so for another 30 or so. He is faced with routine visits of very many frail and elderly suffering “multiple morbidity”. He has added that the majority of the rest of his patients comprise of people who need food, shelter, warmth and companionship. He has to constantly signpost patients to places that have nothing to do with being sick.
New Day notes Gps are dealing with all this in the context of a reduction in funding for primary care, a recruitment crisis and sontant slagging off in the national press.
The view of The Saturn Herald is that better training should be given to medical students in dealing with stress, and that Drs’ surgeries should be monitored by well meaning individuals who want to ensure that GP’s are not unduly inhibited by difficult days and difficult patients. In London surgeries are sometimes filled with translators as mothers who bring children in, or asylum seekers come to the practice and they cannot speak English. Also GP’s in London have to visit high rise blocks and need drivers to protect them. In the provinces The Saturn Herald sees no reason why GP’s with the support of staff and spouses should find their workload leads to depression. However having said that Drs have one of the highest risks of depression of all professions and should again be taught how to deal with this when studying. We do not want people to turn away from medicine because of the negative aspects. If people want to study to make people well, then they must see this as their goal rather than the less appealing aspect of seeking a trail of people who don’t feel well. They are well remunerated and need positive representation to continue their work.
The Saturn Herald is seeking people who are relatives of Doctors for their views. Please send all responses to this request to pennynairprice@gmail.com – daughter of a GP and also daughter of a Orthapaedic surgeon, sister of a Dr and auntie of a Dr as well as niece of a General Surgeon. I look forward to knowing your views.
Penny Nair Price