Coronavirus: More than 1,000 doctors want to leave NHS over government’s mishandling of pandemic

Survey conducted by Doctors’ Association UK reveals mounting disillusionment among frontline medics

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More than 1,000 doctors have said they intend to quit the NHS due to the government’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and frustration over wages, according to new research.

In a survey conducted by the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK), two-thirds of respondents outlined their plans to move abroad, switch to the private sector or take a career break within the next three years.

The government’s treatment of mentally-drained NHS doctors during the pandemic was cited as a key factor in the mounting disillusionment reported among health professionals, the survey showed.

DAUK president Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden said medics had been left “battered, bruised and burned out” by the crisis.

The findings of the survey were “a shocking indictment of the government’s failure to value our nation’s doctors,” she added. “These are dedicated professionals who have put their lives on the line time and time again to keep patients in the NHS safe, and we could be about to lose them.”

Of the the 1,758 doctors who were asked if the “government’s treatment of frontline doctors during the pandemic [has] impacted your decision to stay or leave the NHS,” almost seven in 10 (1,214) said it had made them more likely to leave the health service.

When “asked where do you see yourself working in the next one to three years?”, 1,143 said said they would be leaving the NHS.

Nearly 75 per cent of respondents cited a lack of real-terms pay rise as the main reason for planning to quit.

Although the government announced in July that dentists and doctors in England will receive a 2.8 per cent pay rise, backdated to April, this does not cover trainee doctors or most GPs.

Respondents also said the lack of personal protective equipment during the pandemic (65 per cent) had shaped their decision to leave the NHS. Just over half (54 per cent) of medics told DAUK that not being allowed to speak out publicly was another key factor, as was the impact of the crisis on their own mental health (45 per cent).

One doctor said: “I feel the government regard NHS workers as cannon fodder generally. Poor pay, poor conditions, inadequate PPE, flimsy promises made for political gain. After 20-plus years in the frontline, I am burned out, sick and unsupported.”

Dr Batt-Rawden added: “Frontline staff have been left feeling exploited and expendable. Is it any wonder so many are now making plans to leave once the pandemic is over?”

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was working “tirelessly” to ensure doctors were equipped with PPE, with more than 3.1bn items delivered to frontline workers.

“We want all staff to be able to work flexibly and to access the practical and emotional support they need to look after their physical and mental health, and the NHS People Plan published last month demonstrates our commitment to making the NHS the best possible place to work,” a spokesperson said.