Fiasco over recruitment leaves doctors suicidal
From Mmc
Fiasco over recruitment leaves doctors suicidal
By Laura Clout Last Updated: 2:51am BST 23/06/2007
One in five junior doctors has considered suicide over the "deeply flawed" application system for training posts, according to a survey.
Preliminary results from 680 respondents to a Royal College of Psychiatrists questionnaire reveal that six months of uncertainty over training posts is taking its toll on doctors, and may be starting to affect patient care.
Ninety-four per cent of those questioned said they had been more stressed than normal over the period, and nine out of 10 attributed this to the Medical Training Application System (MTAS).
The reorganisation of training left 30,000 junior doctors chasing just 23,000 posts. Those involved in recruitment complained the scheme did not allow them to distinguish between candidates of different merits, and many with the highest academic and medical credentials were refused interviews.
In addition, the MTAS website was closed down after security breaches allowed people to access confidential details about applicants.
The survey also suggested the low morale among doctors could be having a negative effect on patient care. Three in 10 doctors said they had made more mistakes at work in the last six months, and 43 per cent said they cared less about patient care. advertisement
A third of junior doctors admitted to increased alcohol consumption, and 23 per cent said they had taken more sick leave than normal. They reported symptoms such as disturbed sleep, loss of appetite and tearfulness, and more than half said they had "a sense of future hopelessness".
Mei Nortley, a trainee surgeon, said: "Junior doctors on the whole deal with distressing situations each day and are well-trained in remaining completely professional towards their patients and each other. When they get home, however, many are now breaking down, crying two to three times a week. I don't think the psychological strain can be underestimated."
Dr Jo Hilborne, chairman of the British Medical Association Junior Doctors Committee, said the findings were deeply worrying, but not surprising. She said: "Junior doctors have been kicked around by this deeply flawed application system and thousands still don't know if they've got a job to go.
"The impact on their emotional and mental well-being has been devastating. It's alarming that so many highly skilled professionals have reached such levels of despair and that it's starting to impact on their patients."
Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary, has been forced into a U-turn over the system, promising it would not be used in second-round job interviews.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We know that problems with MTAS have caused anxiety for many junior doctors this year, and have apologised to them for that. "As far as possible, this year's round of training recruitment will make sure that any doctor with the right skills and abilities is offered a training opportunity of some kind."
Commenting on the survey, Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said: "The damage done to the morale and motivation of junior doctors is deeply concerning. In order to dispel some of the uncertainty, the Government should answer urgent questions on the number and type of training posts filled and available in round two."
Prof Dinesh Bhugra, Dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and one of the authors of the study, said: "These findings are extremely worrying. We have discovered that a normally robust and highly committed group of professionals is feeling very demoralised.
"The Government has a moral obligation to ensure that the next generation of doctors does not feel disenchanted."
