Dr Ashburner commented: "Prioritising the wellbeing of NHS staff must be at the forefront of the action plan to tackle the second wave of this pandemic."
I’m an NHS doctor specialising in the care of older people. A year ago, before the arrival of this pandemic changed every aspect of our clinical care, it would not have been unusual to arrive on the hospital ward to hear that a patient had died over the weekend.
A recent Doctors’ Association survey found that more than 1,000 doctors have seriously considered quitting this year, with 45 per cent of those asked citing the crisis’ impact on their mental health. Gruelling 12-hour shifts, exhaustion and burnout are also leading growing numbers of nurses to quit within three years of joining the profession.
Dr Rinesh Parmar, the chair of the Doctors’ Association UK, said: “Staff fear that the publication of the report is being further delayed as it may make difficult reading for the trust’s chief executive who the health secretary has previously championed.”
One way to make workplaces safer is to provide secure channels for reporting wrongdoing. In the UK, organisations including the whistleblowing charity Protect, WhistleblowersUK, and the Doctors’ Association UK are campaigning for change. Reform is also the goal of a private members’ bill sponsored by the MP Philippa Whitford and of a House of Lords’ bill sponsored by Baroness Kramer.
The Doctors’ Association UK's Dr Kaveri Jalundhwala spoke to LBC News about issues with the rollout of the COVID vaccine.
The head of the Doctor's Association fears history will repeat itself and England will see a second coronavirus surge due to the lack of available coronavirus tests.
Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden is the Chair of the UK Doctor's Association and was speaking to Eddie Mair amid the news that no tests are available in England's top 10 hotspots, which was exclusively revealed by LBC.
