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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018
| Contributor Information
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
More than 800 doctors took part in our first UK-specific Medscape Professional Satisfaction Survey alongside our global questionnaire. The answers from GPs and specialists reveal factors affecting income, challenging aspects of their jobs, thoughts on future plans — including the impact of the UK preparing to leave the EU after Brexit — and their experiences working in the NHS as it prepares to mark its 70th birthday.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
The online survey was completed between October 20th and December 5th 2017 by 815 UK doctors who are members of Medscape. The majority of respondents were male, practising full-time, aged over 45, and working in hospitals, and most were employees. More women were employed part-time than men. Part-time employees were more likely to be aged over 65. The survey was also taken by full-time Medscape registered physicians in the US (16,474), Germany (549), Spain (526), and France (937). The margin of error was +/- 3.85% (IC90%). Unless otherwise indicated the graphs are based on data from those practising full-time. There may be rounding of percentages on some charts.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
General practitioners were the most widely represented in our survey (12%), followed by anaesthetists (11%), and paediatricians and mental health professionals (both at 7%).
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Overall, doctors in the UK most often derive satisfaction from being good at their jobs — and the gratitude of their patients. Older respondents were more likely to cite competency as being most rewarding. Among younger doctors, 26% cited the gratitude of their patients. Men were twice as likely as women to say the money they earned was the most rewarding part of their jobs.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Doctors in the UK are more likely to say they are proud of being a doctor compared with their counterparts around the world. UK respondents were least likely in Europe to cite being good at their jobs as the most rewarding part of their role. German doctors expressed satisfaction in the feeling of competence much more (53%) than their foreign colleagues, and had a lesser interest in money. For American practitioners, patient recognition is the most important criteria (33%).
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Seventy years since the NHS was founded, our survey finds staffing levels and workloads cited as the most challenging aspect of their jobs. Next was working long hours for less money, closely followed by NHS rules and regulations — 'red tape'. When it came to red tape — this was disliked more by those 45 and over than by under-45s, and more by men than women. Long hours for less money was more of an issue for under-45s than those 45 and over.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Globally, UK doctors were least likely to say dealing with difficult patients challenges them the most at work. They were also least likely to be worried about being sued, or having trouble getting money from patients with medical insurance — in line with the NHS being free at the point of care. Although NHS bureaucracy can be a challenge for many, the UK was in fourth place for this issue behind Germany, France, and the US. For Spanish doctors, long working hours for a lower income, and difficult patients, are more important challenges than for their foreign colleagues. American practitioners have more difficulty in getting paid for treatment.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Three out of 5 UK doctors don't feel they are fairly rewarded for their work. This dissatisfaction is more common in younger doctors than older ones. But how much more should they be paid? Two out of 3 feel an 11% to 50% rise would be appropriate. Men were more likely than women to say they should earn more. Globally, the UK was behind counterparts in Spain and France, but ahead of Germany and the US, in feeling they are not paid enough. This can be explained by differences in income by country, as reported in our 2018 survey on physician income where there was a difference of around £135,000 between French and American doctors, and more than £26,500 between Germany and the UK.
* Practice-related revenue (excludes activities not associated with patient care such as consultancy, speaking engagements, etc.)
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Working in the NHS has become harder over the past year, according to the majority of UK doctors. GPs are less likely than specialists to say there's been no change. Our survey was sent out before what was one of the busiest winters ever for the NHS.
We also asked about the most rewarding thing about working in the NHS. Answers included: "Providing the best free patient care in the world", "Feeling you make a difference", and the overarching principles of the NHS: "Being able to offer high quality care to everyone independently from ethnicity and wealth." Team spirit and "working with a great team" were common themes.
When asked about the most frustrating thing about working in the NHS, an increasing workload, funding, staffing, waiting lists, resources, poor management, paperwork, and bureaucracy, were common themes. Even problems with car parking got a mention. "I used to love being a doctor", one consultant wrote, "but the NHS is grinding that out of me. I wish I was in another system or another country as a doctor." Several answered with the name of the Health and Social Care Secretary for England, Jeremy Hunt.
We asked what would ease NHS frustrations. Here solutions followed similar patterns — better resources, funding, and salaries, and better management. Politics and the NHS was mentioned by many, with one writing: "Put more money into the NHS, or significantly do less." Another said: "Change the government policy — you can't run an NHS on a frugal budget!"
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
So with earlier answers suggesting some dissatisfaction with conditions within the NHS, are respondents thinking of doing more private work? Three in 10 said they are. Older physicians are less likely to consider more private work than younger ones.
Moving to private sector work is currently more appealing to UK doctors than to those in France.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
One in 3 UK physicians say they are considering leaving the UK to practise in another country. Younger physicians are more likely to be thinking of leaving than older ones. UK doctors are more likely to be thinking of making this move than those practising in Germany and France.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
The impact of Brexit on NHS staffing levels and vacancies is a hot topic. Among doctors who moved to the UK to practise medicine, the Brexit vote has affected the plans of 30%, with another 21% unsure.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Although targets can be common in the UK, few doctors working in the NHS said they are rewarded for hitting specific targets. Generalists (34%) are more often rewarded than specialists (4%).
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Half of UK doctors say they spend 30-45 hours per week seeing patients. Just 1 in 10 spend more than 50 hours per week. Two-thirds of doctors spend more than 10 hours a week on medically-related paperwork, with hospital-based doctors spending less time than their general practice counterparts.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Many NHS GP appointments can be 10 minute slots, and that's reflected in the results of our survey. GPs spend 9-12 minutes with each patient. Specialists tend to have longer appointments.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Most UK doctors look back and are happy with their career choice. However, fewer than half would recommend a medical career to their children. Younger doctors (78%) are less often glad they became a doctor than are older colleagues (86%). Men are more likely than women to recommend a medical career to their children, as would older doctors more than younger ones. Six in 10 doctors would choose medicine again, though only 10% would choose the same practice setting. Compared with France and Germany, UK doctors were slightly less happy they chose medicine. UK doctors were also less likely to recommend a medical career to their children than French and German counterparts.
Among reasons not to recommend medicine to their children, responses from UK doctors included: "At present I would not recommend UK GP ... as the job has been damaged by our current Health Secretary and his entourage." And, "If they wanted to and it suited them of course, but I would not promote medicine over other desired career paths." Positive responses included: "Huge satisfaction from work and well paid," one wrote. "I already have one child studying to be a doctor. I remain of the view it is an excellent career," according to another. Others agreed: "In my opinion I would not do any other job on the planet — my daughter has just started medicine." And, "It is a noble career where one is guaranteed a decent income and good standard of living." "Yes, but not in the UK," another doctor told us.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
Next we look at how ambitious our respondents are. Fewer than half of doctors are aiming to move up in their organisations. Not surprisingly, younger doctors are more often looking for promotions.
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UK Doctors' Professional Satisfaction Survey
Tim Locke | April 4, 2018 | Contributor Information
When it comes to finding their current job, slightly more UK physicians found out about the position through networking with colleagues than by using online or print job listings.
What's the financial situation for UK doctors? Which are the factors affecting income, challenging aspects of their jobs, and thoughts on future plans such as the impact of the UK leaving the EU after Brexit? See the results of our first UK-specific Medscape income survey.Slideshows, April 2018
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Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our Commenting Guide for further information. We reserve the right to remove posts at our sole discretion.
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Tim Locke
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