Thousands of NHS doctors are planning to quit after the Covid pandemic, a British Medical Association (BMA) survey has found. Long hours, high demand, and the pandemic's impact are driving exhaustion and poor mental health, with almost one in three doctors considering early retirement and a quarter weighing up a career break.
The survey of 5,521 doctors found that 31.9% of respondents said they are more likely to retire early than a year ago, more than double the 14% in June 2020. Additionally, 25% may take a career break, 21% are considering leaving the NHS for another career, 17% might work abroad, and 15% could become locums. Half are likely to reduce their hours.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA leader, warned that an exodus of 'talented, experienced professionals' would worsen NHS staffing problems and patient waiting times. He said, 'It's deeply worrying that more and more doctors are considering leaving the NHS because of the pressures of the pandemic.' Doctors cited workload (45%), personal wellbeing (43%), pay (29%), working conditions (22%), and workplace culture (22%) as key factors.
One acute specialist doctor said, 'I’ve started exploring career opportunities outside of the NHS... I love the NHS but I know I can’t keep up this pace indefinitely.' A Yorkshire GP added, 'In my more than 20 years... I have been closest to leaving the job that I love in the last few months.'
The potential exodus threatens to worsen the NHS's care backlog, which has reached a record 4.7 million patients waiting for treatment. Nagpaul noted that more than half of doctors fear an unmanageable workload and most doubt their department can cope. A Department of Health spokesperson highlighted record staffing numbers—over 1.18 million—and additional funding, including £1bn to tackle waiting lists.
