After the upcoming general election, the government will have the opportunity and need to address a range of issues impacting healthcare professionals and patients. Healthcare services continue to be under considerable strain. The Covid 19 pandemic and its aftermath has had a profound impact on healthcare professionals, systems and patients, and it has also meant that some important policy issues where reform is long overdue have not been properly addressed.
At Medical Protection, we have a particular perspective on the reforms needed. We see first-hand the impact that disciplinaries, GMC investigations and other matters have on members, and how these could be handled better. We support members during their darkest times and we have a good view of the support they need for their mental wellbeing. We also see the impact that working in under resourced or unsupportive environments can have on healthcare professionals and their patients.
This page set out the reforms we think should be prioritised in order to improve accountability (ensuring the ways in which doctors are held to account are fair, sensitive and proportionate), support the wellbeing of healthcare professionals, and support and develop the workforce. Our full recommendations paper can also be downloaded here.
Doctors expect to be accountable for the healthcare they provide. They also have a right to expect that when they are held to account it is done in a way that is fair, proportionate, efficient and sensitively handled. Sadly, we see first-hand when supporting doctors through various processes that this is not always the case.
There are a wide range of ways in which doctors are held to account ranging from employer disciplinaries, GMC investigations, clinical negligence claims – and in the most extreme of cases - criminal charges. Each of these areas are in need of reform.
It is a paradox that while modern medicine allows doctors to do more for to improve their patients' lives than ever before, mounting evidence shows that doctors feel stressed, burnt out and unable to cope in ever greater numbers.
In a recent survey of MPS members in the UK, nearly half of healthcare professionals (46%) told us their mental health was worse at that point than it was during the pandemic. The recent NHS Staff Survey also found that 42% of staff reported feeling unwell because of work-related stress over the last 12 months, while 30% often or always felt burnt out.
Poor mental health can also affect how healthcare teams operate and can jeopardise patient care. Without support, healthcare staff can need extended periods of time off work which can disrupt the provision of safe patient care. There is also a relationship between mental wellbeing support and staff retention, as was acknowledged in the recent NHS workforce plan.
It is ethically right that society invests in caring for those who care for us, however, sustained investment in mental health support for NHS staff is also a fundamental pillar of retention and it should be treated as such. Research shows that for every £1 spent on workplace mental health interventions, £5 is saved. It is critical that policy makers across all parties start thinking long term on this issue.
Supporting and developing the medical workforce is key to the delivery of timely and effective care to patients. This should include increasing the number of doctors we train, supporting those who come to the UK, retaining valued members of our medical workforce, and creating opportunities for development.
With recent reports suggesting there will be significant challenges with increasing training numbers to 15,000 by 2031, it is important that increases in the number of doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals entering the profession are prioritised throughout the next Parliament.
Significant action is also needed to address the retention of healthcare professionals working in the UK, and the current inadequate support for International Medical Graduates when they enter the UK.
Finally, action is needed to recognise and support the development of Specialist, Associate Specialist and Specialty (SAS) Doctors and locally employed (LE) doctors. These roles make up almost a quarter (24%) of the total UK workforce and they are the fastest growing group in the UK medical profession. Despite their prevalence and skilled expertise, they face variable levels of support, job security training opportunities and career development. We support the ‘SAS Six’ proposals developed by the SAS Collective and urge the next Government to do more to support them.
Download our full 'Priorities for the next Government' paper
Get in touch with the Policy & Public Affairs team
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