I feel unhappy as a GP because I feel trapped and disillusioned by
the job. I work in a two handed practice in a deprived area. I have worked
in the NHS for 21 years and during that time I have worked 112 hours a
weeks or more as a hospital junior and done long surgeries 6 days a week
largely because I believed in the principles of the NHS and that my
contribution was valued. It was a great and glorious even macho thing to
keep on going, you are a wimp to call for help or take a break.
Realisation dawned some years ago. The reason we doctors put in so
many hours and packed so many patients into so little time was because the
government failed to invest enough money into training a large enough
medical workforce to do the job properly. The patients for the large part
treat our services like any other consumer product so that yesterday's
diagnostic or theraputic triumph goes for nothing.
I feel trapped because I invested £500,000 in a cost rent surgery
building that stops me moving onto greener pastures and no doctor in his
right mind would want to take over. I want a decent lifestyle and the
ability to reduce my work commitments to retain my sanity .
Rapid Response:
GPs feel trapped and disillusioned
Dear editor
I feel unhappy as a GP because I feel trapped and disillusioned by
the job. I work in a two handed practice in a deprived area. I have worked
in the NHS for 21 years and during that time I have worked 112 hours a
weeks or more as a hospital junior and done long surgeries 6 days a week
largely because I believed in the principles of the NHS and that my
contribution was valued. It was a great and glorious even macho thing to
keep on going, you are a wimp to call for help or take a break.
Realisation dawned some years ago. The reason we doctors put in so
many hours and packed so many patients into so little time was because the
government failed to invest enough money into training a large enough
medical workforce to do the job properly. The patients for the large part
treat our services like any other consumer product so that yesterday's
diagnostic or theraputic triumph goes for nothing.
I feel trapped because I invested £500,000 in a cost rent surgery
building that stops me moving onto greener pastures and no doctor in his
right mind would want to take over. I want a decent lifestyle and the
ability to reduce my work commitments to retain my sanity .
Competing interests: No competing interests