The latest research from the Commonwealth Fund tells us that UK’s GPs are the most stressed in the western world, due to their overwhelming workloads, packed-in schedules and towering piles of paperwork.
We trust our GPs with our health and wellbeing. We trust them to be at their best, applying thoughtful intelligence to our health issues. But what if your GP is stressed and anxious, working so hard and fast that she can hardly concentrate?
UK GP stress levels are the highest
Stress levels among British GPs are so high that almost 30% have plans to quit the profession in the next 5 years. More than 20% of our family doctors have become ill in the past year due to the growing pressures of the role, according to Commonwealth Fund, a Washington-based think tank.
Even if your GP doesn’t have immediate plans to quit, it’s likely that she’s stressed. 59% of UK GPs surveyed in the study found their work stressful, with 39% of those saying it is very stressful, and 20% extremely stressful. These figures were higher than any of the other leading nations.
Short consultations are the lead cause of stress
According to the Commonwealth Fund’s research, the biggest source of stress and dissatisfaction among GPs was the short, 10 minute consultation time that has become the norm. Only 26% of UK GPs felt they had enough time to adequately listen to their patients and provide a full diagnosis. Some GPs fear that these short appointment times could cause them to miss vital symptoms or make a serious misdiagnosis.
Stressed doctors risk medical misadventure
Unfortunately, these fears are grounded in reality. GPs are responsible of an approximate of 18% of all malpractice cases in the UK, according to a research into medical negligence, based on more than 1,000 cases.
No-one can be at their best when suffering under stress. It’s not surprising that experts are concerned that patient’s health is at risk due to tired, burnt out family doc tors. Dr Maureen Baker, strategic safety adviser for patient safety at the Health and Social Care Information Centre warns that the “persistent and excessive workload” faced by NHS GPs puts them at the same risk of inadvertently causing harm or even death as overtired pilots or lorry drivers.
When your brain is under stress, it can’t perform. Stress can have a huge effect on the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain we use for abstract thought. It’s the ‘command centre’ of the brain, and when you visit your doctor, it’s critical that she’s engaging these analytical thought processes fully. However, if she’s under stress, her thinking is seriously impaired. In fact, new research shows that stress is “devastating handicap in circumstances where we need to engage in complex decision making”.
Where are the solutions to GP stress?
What can we do about this situation? Current government plans are to add 5,000 GPs to the workforce by 2020. But is this achievable with current rates of attrition, and fewer doctors wanting to enter the profession?
Luckily, researchers studying physician burnout may have found some answers. Anthony Montgomery, an associate professor in the Psychology of Work and Organizations in the University of Macedonia in Greece, suggests the key to lowering GP stress is by changing the way they are trained. According to Montgomery, it is important to include social, relational and emotional skills training to doctors’ education. Teaching doctors how to improve relationships will help doctors and patients collaborate in their care, making the doctor/patient relationship more satisfying for both parties. Montgomery also suggests teaching GPs emotional management skills such as mindfulness to actively control stress in their lives.
Patients can help their doctors, too, by being positive advocates for their own care. Taking responsibility for your own health is the first step towards developing a collaborative relationship with your GP.
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