More than half of all young general practitioners (GPs) have experienced a significant increase in stress levels over the last 12 months, according to an annual study.
The British Medical Association’s (BMA) yearly Cohort Study, which tracks the progress of 430 doctors that qualified in 2006, found self-reported stress levels had increased by around 53 per cent year-on-year for GPs, with the rate slightly lower for doctors as a whole (44 per cent).
A total of 34 per cent of doctors working as GPs said they had either high or very high levels of stress in their workplace, something that could negatively affect their ability to treat patients.
Nearly three quarters (71 per cent) of GPs reported the complexity of their job had risen in the last year, with 69 per cent stating that work-related admin had impacted their life outside of work in a significant, or very significant way.
Dr Ben Molyneux, BMA junior doctor committee chairman, said: “Training to be a consultant or GP should not be some sort of trial of endurance … we owe it to our patients to change the way doctors are trained.”
