Doctors have higher rates of suicide, drug abuse and divorce than general population due to pressure of high workload, a conference has heard. The medical profession is under such stress that their relationships and health is failing, the British Medical Association conference in Harrogate was told. Doctors develop depression, anxiety, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stomach ulcers, breast cancer and insomnia as a result, it was warned. Increasing workload, night shifts and long working hours are to blame, doctors said and the BMA must act to protect the medical workforce it was argued. Dr Zoe Greaves said: "We all know first hand of the challenges faced by those in our profession. "We see this happening all around us; alcoholism, drug abuse, divorce, mental health problems, suicide, chronic disease exacerbated by stress and even carcinomas. "Suicide levels are more than twice as high as the background population. "divorce rates are 10 per cent to 20 per cent higher. "It is time that we ourselves ceased to be the collateral damage of a service under stress." Dr Richard Vautrey, member of the BMA's GP committee said: "There is a crisis in the medical profession cause by unsustainable and dangerous levels of workload. "This has a major impact on our physical and mental health. "It is any wonder that we are facing a major recruitment and retention crisis? "We are all prepared to go the extra mile for our patients but the systems we are now working in have turned that mile into a daily marathon. "NHS systems are making doctors ill. "It is no longer a crisis, it is a scandal." He said the response from NHS England had been to cut occupational health services for doctors. Source
