Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

News

Burnout is harming GPs’ health and patient care, doctors warn

BMJ 2021; 374 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1823 (Published 19 July 2021) Cite this as: BMJ 2021;374:n1823

Rapid Response:

Re: Burnout is harming GPs’ health and patient care, doctors warn

Dear Editor

I was saddened to read this article in the 24th July 2021 BMJ.

I remember answering a retirement questionnaire in 2009 from the RCGP and made some comments about the issues affecting the profession at that time. My fears were that if the issues of over-regulation, bureaucracy and workload were not altered for the better, I could foresee a further decline in the primary care workforce. I did get a reply giving the then RCGP “party line” that the regulations were not likely to change. There have been some amendments to the GP contract in the intervening years but we now know that the situation is worse and exacerbated by the pandemic.

Competing interests: No competing interests

02 August 2021
Andrew Hardman
Retired GP
Cheadle Hulme