Burnout is endemic amongst doctors, with studies consistently identifying levels of 50% or more in the UK. Levels of burnout are increasing, driven by exposure to increasingly challenging working environments that slowly erodes our capacity to flourish.

The NHS is becoming a burnout factory where highly resilient clinicians are running on empty, drained of their energy and enthusiasm for their work and in existing in survival mode

Christine Maslach, the leading authority on burnout has described it as “an erosion in values, dignity, spirit and will-an erosion of the human soul”. This eloquently describes its impact for doctors in its grip.

For far tool long there has been a tendency for organisations to scapegoat doctors, blaming their burnout on a lack of individual resilience. This is profoundly wrong. Doctors are incredibly resilient, with levels significantly higher than other professions. The fact that we have survived both our medical school training and the challenges of being a resident doctor testifies to this.

Doctors don’t burnout because we aren’t strong enough. We burnout because the system asks us to abandon ourselves-and we do, because we feel we have to.

While we can all work to improve our capacity to thrive under stress, the issue is not our resilience, but a fundamental disconnect between the demands placed on us and the resources we are given. In this gap between demand and capacity sits a fundamental driver of burnout.

The Key Drivers Of Burnout

Lack of control (autonomy). Far too often we lose agency in making decisions that affect us. It feels like decisions are made about us, but without us. We are given responsibility for patient care but without the authority to improve it

Lack of reward. We consistently go above and beyond our job plans/contacted hours This discretionary effort is normalised and unrecognised. Our work isn’t appreciated or properly remunerated and our efforts feel invisible

Lack of community, sense of togetherness, of belonging. We are social animals, with a need for connection. The modern practice of medicine has lost opportunities to connect. The spaces to spend time together have been stripped away and our busy lives are often spent in isolation, feeling alone and with no sense of community or common purpose

Poor workplace culture. The culture often toxic, with a lack of psychological safety and a default to blame rather than learn when issues with care arise. This is compounded by a toxic positivity where we are unable to voice our concerns for fear of being seen as negative. Poor culture doesn’t just kill morale, it erodes meaning, safety and the soul of the work itself.

A misalignment between organisational values and our own values. Far too often, an organisations stated values are not the lived experience of doctors. Our values get compromised, squashed and this lack of resonance drives a moral injury that is a significant driver of burnout.

What Can Be Done?

There’s no need to despair! If burnout is the main issue, we’ll unpick what is driving it and work together to find a way back to an energised, engaged, fulfilled and thriving working life. Please get in touch.