• The General Medical Council has published independent findings from a UK-wide review into the wellbeing of doctors and medical students.
• The Caring for doctors, caring for patients report identifies a need to address the wellbeing of doctors faced with higher workloads, whose own health may impact on patient care.
• The report identifies eight recommendations, including compassionate leadership models giving doctors more say over the culture of their workplaces, adopting minimum standards of food and rest facilities, and standardising rota designs which take account of workload and available staff.
  
  

Responding to Caring for doctors, Caring for patients by the General Medical Council (GMC), the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson said:

“This timely report makes key recommendations and underlines the imperative for NHS organisations to help improve the health and wellbeing of doctors and other staff.

“Growing demand for NHS services and over 100,000 vacancies across the service is putting increasing strain on NHS staff. We can not afford to lose the dedicated workforce we have who give so much and are the lifeblood of the NHS.

We can not afford to lose the dedicated workforce we have who give so much and are the lifeblood of the NHS.

“Trusts are already taking steps to improve the working lives of their staff, support their wellbeing and to make sure the NHS is a great place to work. But we know there is much more to do, so trusts and other NHS employers will be taking recommendations like these seriously.

“There is compelling evidence which makes it clear that staff who feel fulfilled in the work they carry out and supported by their employers can be driving force behind improving the experience of patients and their families.

These recommendations helpfully set out ways to improve the support for staff through changes to culture, leadership and allowing staff to take more ownership of their working lives.

“These recommendations helpfully set out ways to improve the support for staff through changes to culture, leadership and allowing staff to take more ownership of their working lives. We must not also lose sight of the clear link between unrealistic workload and vacancies. NHS organisations will need the ability to recruit in greater numbers going forward to ensure lasting improvements to staff health and wellbeing.

“This will take time to solve. A long term strategy implemented at national, system and local levels must address both keeping people within the NHS by improving culture and promoting development, but also ensuring we have the means to recruit and train the staff we need to meet growing demand, both domestically and internationally.”