A wellbeing campaign, which aims to highlight how important it is for doctors to care for themselves during these challenging times, has been launched by the Medical Council.

According to Medical Council president, Dr Rita Doyle, there is not a single person in Ireland “whose life hasn’t been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic over the last 15 months and this also applies to doctors”.

“Doctors have had to change the way they practise, consistently evolving to the changing circumstances, as revised guidance was issued during the various waves of the pandemic.”

“As we know from research, doctor wellbeing and burnout has been an issue in Ireland long before the pandemic and we also know that this can lead to adverse events for patients,” Dr Doyle noted.

The Medical Council is a research partner in the Hospital Doctor Retention and Motivation Project, an ongoing research project, which aims to generate information to inform and improve the retention of doctors in the Irish health system.

The council pointed to recent findings by the project, which revealed that while many doctors reported improvements in physical wellbeing during the first wave of the pandemic, most also experienced a decline in their mental wellbeing, due to issues such as anxiety, emotional exhaustion and isolation.

The findings also revealed that a number of pre-existing stresses, such as burnout and work-life balance, were exacerbated by the pandemic. Furthermore, during the pandemic, there were few suitable supports in place to give doctors the space and time to acknowledge, discuss and address the practical and emotional toll of working during this difficult time.

The Medical Council insisted that supports need to be put in place to prevent burnout in all healthcare workers.

Meanwhile, Dr Doyle also pointed out that the cyber attack on the HSE’s IT systems “was the last thing the Irish health service needed”.

She said that the combination of all of these events means that “it is now more important than ever before that doctors make the extra effort to care for themselves and to protect their mental and physical health”.

“One important step doctors can take to support their wellbeing is to ensure they are registered with a GP and seek the support of their GP when needed,” she added.

According to incoming president of the Medical Council, Dr Suzanne Crowe, it is essential that doctors look after their own wellbeing, “not just for themselves, but for their patients, their families and their colleagues”.

“If a doctor is struggling, please seek support and don’t suffer in silence. The Medical Council, the HSE, the Post Graduate Training Bodies and many other groups have supports available for doctors and other healthcare professionals.”

“The simple things, the actions we advise our patients to do, can make such a huge difference, such as getting enough sleep, eating healthily, exercising and making time for friends and families,” Dr Crowe commented.

The wellbeing campaign features doctors from all branches of the medical profession, at various stages of their careers. It promotes self-care, emphasises the importance of doctors having a GP, and highlights resources available for doctors.

A guide on wellbeing advice is available here and videos featuring some of the participants in the campaign, such as HSE COO, Dr Colm Henry, and All-Ireland wining Dublin footballer, Dr Noelle Healy, can be viewed here and here.

More information on the Hospital Doctor Retention and Motivation Project is available here.