Almost half of Scots junior doctors could quit profession, BMA warns
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is being urged to act before it is too late
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is being urged to act before it is too late as a new survey of junior doctors revealed almost half are considering quitting the profession.
A BMA Scotland survey of its junior doctor members revealed 49.8% were considering leaving their jobs within the next two years, with current issues in the NHS leaving them feeling "demoralised, undervalued and exhausted".
Dr Lailah Peel, the outgoing chair of the BMA's Scottish junior doctor committee (SJDC), said it was "incredibly concerning to see these stats laid out in black and white".
"If the views of the respondents of our survey are representative of the entire junior doctor workforce in Scotland we could be walking into a workforce catastrophe in the next two years," she warned.
Some 90% of the 320 respondents said issues and challenges of working as a junior doctor in the health service over the past year have lowered their morale, with 52% having told the survey it has significantly lowered their morale.
A junior doctor is any doctor in clinical training who is not a consultant or GP, and make up 44% of doctors employed by NHS boards.
Dr Peel, who works in an accident and emergency department, said:
"We are already desperately short-staffed - we need more doctors across the entire system from primary care through to the highest levels in secondary care - we cannot afford to lose valuable junior doctors who are the future of our senior workforce.
"Urgent action must be taken to make junior doctors feel valued in their workplace and (to) want to stay in Scotland's NHS for the majority, if not entirety, of their careers."
She said when speaking to her colleagues they felt "unappreciated and undervalued".
"There are many factors contributing to this feeling of discontentment among the workforce, but this year's pay award, which is essentially a pay cut in real terms, certainly hasn't helped matters and has led to many junior doctors re-evaluating their futures within our NHS," Dr Peel said.
She added that while pay must be resolved there were "other things the Government can do as quick fixes to make the working lives of junior doctors easier" like uninterrupted breaks at work, a locker to store belongings, and access to hot food while working long shifts out of hours.
"If I can make one final plea to the Scottish Government before I stand down as chair of SJDC, it's this: act now, please - do something before it's too late," she said.
What is being done?
Mr Yousaf said the government at Holyrood has "already delivered record levels of staffing in NHS Scotland, and the number of doctors in training, as of June this year, is up 14.3% from September 2006 - and 2022 is set to be the most successful year of medical trainee recruitment in Scotland in the last five years, with a 95% fill rate so far".
He added: "We're committed to delivering the recommendations of last year's report on junior doctor wellbeing and have begun introducing improvements to working conditions, including guidance to NHS boards to limit consecutive days of long shifts as well as ongoing wellbeing support available through the National Wellbeing Hub, a 24/7 National Wellbeing Helpline, confidential mental health treatment through the Workforce Specialist Service and funding for additional local psychological support.
"We owe all our health and social care staff an incredible debt for all they have been through as a result of the pandemic and the issues we still face as we start to recover and deal with the backlog of care needed.
"Today I am updating parliament on the preparations we are making for this winter, which still promises to be a difficult time for all, but I am clear that protecting and responding to staff is at the heart of how we meet these challenges."
But Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman, said the statistics revealing the number of junior doctors quitting the profession were "a stark wake-up call for the beleaguered Health Secretary".
"Our NHS is in the midst of a workforce crisis and every effort must be made to keep medics within the NHS," the MSP said.
"Humza Yousaf cannot keep turning his back on Scotland's junior doctors - he must act now before it is too late."
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman, said the figures were "a stark wake-up call for the beleaguered Health Secretary".
"Our NHS is in the midst of a workforce crisis and every effort must be made to keep medics within the NHS," the MSP said.
"Humza Yousaf cannot keep turning his back on Scotland's junior doctors - he must act now before it is too late."