Seven out of 10 UK family doctors are worn out and suffering from “compassion fatigue”, finding it hard to empathise with their patients, a poll published Thursday said.
The survey of 1,855 doctors across the UK carried out by the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland showed a vast majority are physically and emotionally too exhausted to show much compassion to those seeking their help, the Guardian newspaper said.
Some 71 percent of GPs and 62 percent of all doctors reported these findings, with those aged between 25 to 34 being the worst affected.
Family doctors are “particularly vulnerable” because of their “prolonged exposure to patients’ suffering and trauma” and their heavy workloads, the union’s chief medical officer John Holden told the newspaper.
The survey also found that 85 percent of GPs who had had suicidal thoughts blamed it on their working conditions which have deteriorated due to a lack of resources.
Almost half of those polled, some 44 percent, feared their increasing lack of compassion could lead them to make a medical mistake.
Holden warned “compassion fatigue” could have an impact on patient safety.
The new Labour government, elected in July, has made fixing the UK’s creaking National Health Service a priority — including tackling ballooning waiting lists for treatment and stemming an exodus of staff.
It has promised to release some £22.6 billion ($27.9 billion) in extra resources by 2026 to help alleviate the crisis.