Frontline medics ‘at breaking point’ say experts
Research finds many staff facing ‘ongoing distress’
MANY FRONTLINE doctors are at “breaking point”, experts have warned, as they struggle to sustain NHS services at a relentless pace.
New research, having examined the impact of the pandemic on frontline medics, has suggested a “significant” proportion are facing “ongoing distress”.
The chief executive of NHS England warned yesterday that someone is admitted to hospital with coronavirus every 30 seconds as the second wave peaks.
Hospitals and staff are under extreme pressure, Sir Simon Stevens said, admitting the NHS has never before been in a more precarious position. Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he said he could not “sugar coat” the facts as the country battled with the worst pandemic in a century.
“We have got three-quarters more Covid inpatients now then we had in the April peak,” he said, adding that since Christmas the equivalent of 30 hospitals have filled with coronavirus patients.
Research published today has revealed the scale of strain faced by doctors in the first wave, experts warned many may be feeling the burden of sustained psychological distress.
The study, based on responses
from more than 5,400 frontline doctors, found 45 per cent reported psychological distress as the pandemic accelerated to its initial peak.
Researchers from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and psychologists from the University of Bath found that one in four of those questioned had suffered trauma, with evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder in 13 per cent.
The greatest worry for many of the frontline doctors was about passing on infection to their own families.
Researchers argued it was “essential” that policymakers and professional bodies help to mitigate harm.
“It is now a pressing and urgent concern,” said Dr Jo Daniels, a clinical psychologist and a senior lecturer from the University of Bath’s Department of Psychology.
“Doctors are at breaking point and cannot continue to work effectively in these very high pressured, high risk environments without psychological support to address their mental health needs.”
What is at stake is doctors’ ability to function and deliver. Dr Jo Daniels, senior lecturer at the University of Bath.