NHS: Mental health of doctors worse now than it was during Covid-19 pandemic, study shows

Almost half of doctors in the UK say their mental health is worse now than during the Covid-19 pandemic, with experts calling on the government to continue investing in supporting the health service’s workforce.

The Medical Protection Society (MPS) surveyed 861 doctors and found 46 per cent were worse off psychologically than during the pandemic due to work pressure, rising demand and staffing issues in the NHS.

It comes after NHS England pledged to share £2.3m between seven regions to maintain 40 NHS staff mental health and wellbeing hubs, which were set up in 2021 to provide workers with fast and easy access to support. However, MPS said a freedom of information request by the British Psychological Society found £40 million would be required to run the sites.

Of those surveyed by MPS, 75 per cent did not believe the government is doing enough to help healthcare workers when it comes to mental health, while 43 per cent are considering their future career due to concerns about their own wellbeing.

More than three-quarters (76 per cent) said staff shortages are making it hard to take time off to deal with their issues, with many also worried about the impact their mental wellbeing could have on patient safety.

A doctor who participated in the survey said: “Pressures across NHS secondary, primary and social care, and the haemorrhaging of experienced staff at every level make the job increasingly impossible and fear of serious incidents, things going wrong, a sense of lurching from crisis to crisis with little or no respite, is taking its toll.

“I am considering early retirement – far earlier than planned. I do think this will be a sad loss both for myself and the NHS services as I have considerable experience and expertise. But I have my health, wellbeing and family to consider also.”

Professor Dame Jane Dacre, MPS president, said the mental health and wellbeing hubs “provide desperately needed support to staff” with a range of issues, including anxiety and depression.

She added: “Demand for support with mental health issues is still high. Nearly half of our members tell us their mental health is worse now than it was during the pandemic, and a similar amount are considering their future in healthcare due to mental health concerns.

“We are also seeing more staff absent from work due to mental ill health than ever before. It therefore seems absolutely the wrong time to scale back mental health provision for healthcare staff and risk the sustainability of an established network of hubs that are crucial in supporting mental wellbeing and retention.

“We urge the government to consider providing sustainable funding to strengthen the hubs. While retention is complex and multi-faceted, investment in mental health support for staff is a fundamental pillar."

Sarb Bajwa, chief executive at the British Psychological Society, said: “These shocking – but sadly not surprising – findings once again highlight the urgent need for the ongoing, dedicated mental health support provided by the hubs.

It’s clear the health and social care workforce is running on empty, and they deserve better than a drastically reduced service that’s unable to meet demand due to short-sighted funding arrangements.”

Last week, data published by NHS Digital revealed 24.2 per cent of sick days across the health service in March 2023 were due to anxiety, stress, depression or other psychiatric illnesses.