Commenting on GMC's 'The state of medical education and practice in the UK Workplace experiences 2024 report' published today, Dr Clodagh Corrigan, deputy chair of BMA Council said, “The report makes for very depressing reading. The results for Northern Ireland are considerably worse than in the rest of the UK, with significantly higher levels of dissatisfaction in some key areas and doctors reporting they are reducing their hours to protect themselves and their patients.  
 
“It is no surprise, given the huge pressures the health service here is under, that doctors are reporting more negative experiences. 48% of doctors here said they were dissatisfied in their day-to-day work, compared with 39% of doctors in the rest of the UK.  
 
“55% of doctors in Northern Ireland said they found it difficult to provide sufficient patient care at least once a week, compared with 43% of doctors in the rest of the UK, and 52% said they had witnessed patient safety being compromised, compared with 41% of doctors in the rest of the UK.  
 
“It is also disheartening to read that only 30% of doctors in Northern Ireland feel supported by non-clinical managers, compared with 41% of doctors in the rest of the UK, and 49% feel supported by senior medical staff, compared with 61%. 
 
“The report also highlights that other groups of doctors including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, women and disabled doctors feel even more pressure when compared to other colleagues.  
 
“We cannot afford to lose doctors from the health service here through burnout, or because they feel there is no other option than reducing their hours. This unfortunately can put more pressure on other staff, and can mean patients end up waiting even longer for treatment. 
 
“These issues need addressed right across the system. We want to see the Department of Health, employers, regulators and training bodies working together quickly to address these issues so they can support doctors, implement workforce plans and make sure doctors are able to care for patients.”