Study Reveals Two out of Three UK Doctors Experience 'Moral Distress' Amid Overstretched NHS

Two-thirds of UK doctors are experiencing "moral distress" due to the pressures on the National Health Service (NHS) and the impact of the cost of living crisis on patient health, a study reveals. This distress results largely from the lack of resources, affecting their ability to provide optimal care.

A survey by MDDUS found that 65% of doctors, including 78% of GPs and 56% of hospital doctors, feel this distress regularly. They witness patients suffering from the consequences of poverty and encounter issues like long waits for treatment and insufficient medication.

Prof. Philip Banfield from the British Medical Association notes the NHS is critically overstretched, with significant doctor shortages and fewer doctors per capita than Germany. The professional frustration doctors feel when they cannot meet the standards of care they are trained to provide is termed "moral distress."

The MDDUS survey involved 1,671 doctors and highlights a growing sense of unhappiness amongst the medical workforce, which manifests in personal distress, anger, and depression. Relationship strains and unhealthy coping mechanisms are also reported among the doctors surveyed.

Key reasons for this distress include staff and bed shortages, patients' difficulty accessing timely treatment, and the growing demand for care exceeding the capacities of an already stretched NHS.

Forty-seven percent of doctors surveyed attribute their moral distress to the cost of living crisis, which has left patients struggling with illnesses exacerbated by unhealthy diets and poor living conditions due to financial constraints.

The survey's distressing findings include impacts on doctors' mental health and personal lives: 72% reported mental health issues due to work-related unhappiness, feelings of fatigue (85%), worry (77%), sadness (61%), and anger (61%). Sleeping problems, unhealthy eating habits, relationship issues, and conflicts with family and friends were also prevalent.

The heavy toll leads 40% of doctors to consider leaving the profession, with another 25% thinking about early retirement. Hostility from patients and unmet care expectations further add to their burden.

With the NHS's condition perceived as deteriorating post-COVID-19 by 53% of doctors, the Nuffield Trust's Thea Stein urges action to alleviate these extreme pressures and prevent staff burnout and departure.

The Department of Health and Social Care refers to the actions being taken to support NHS staff well-being and the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aimed at building a sustainable workforce over the next 15 years.