Doctors
in Scotland are increasingly suffering from high levels of stress and low
morale according to the results of a survey by the Scottish General
Practitioners Committee.
A
total of 56 per cent of GPs who responded to the survey said they suffered from
low or very low morale.
More
than 80 per cent of respondents said they experienced increased or
significantly increased stress levels and 60 per cent of GPs are more likely to
be considering a career change or early retirement than they were five years
ago.
Dr
Kenneth Harden, chairman of the Scottish General Practitioners Committee, said,
“I remain convinced of the enormous value of the fundamental components of the
NHS general practice and considering the difficulties the remarkably high level
of care provided to the people of Scotland.
“The
low morale and dissatisfaction with many aspects of the current system,
however, cannot continue without being detrimental to both general
practitioners and their patients.
“There
is now a pressing need to negotiate real change and improvement in the Scottish
Executive’s support for primary care.”
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By
Ben Willmott