UK-wide medical defence body MDDUS today (8 June 2021) welcomed the Health and Social Care select committee’s report Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care, saying the wellbeing of the healthcare workforce must continue to be a priority after Covid-19.
Its findings echo the results of a survey by MDDUS of its own members earlier this year, carried out at the height of the second wave of the pandemic in winter 2020/21. These highlighted the impact of the pandemic on the wellbeing of healthcare professionals and underlined the risk many would quit the NHS as a result.
The MDDUS survey found that more than four-in-ten healthcare professionals were experiencing higher levels of both stress and anxiety in comparison to the first wave of the pandemic. More than half of all respondents said they were considering leaving their jobs or retiring early.
MDDUS Chief Medical Officer, Dr John Holden, said:
“The committee’s findings echo what our members told us earlier this year – the toll of the pandemic has led to higher levels of anxiety and stress, with many clinicians considering their future in the profession.
“We know burnout can have implications for patient safety, and so it’s vital the mental health initiatives adopted during the pandemic for healthcare workers are maintained and monitored.”
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