New figures show persistent staff shortages and rising patient expectations are the key drivers behind more than eight in ten doctors experiencing high stress levels. Half of doctors report poor mental or physical health, and the same number say workplace pressures increase their risk of making mistakes at work.

Extreme tiredness remains a concern for doctors, with more than one in three saying they are regularly sleep deprived and ten percent reporting a ‘near miss’, where tiredness played a part. Struggling to switch off after the shift ends and not being able to take a break due to high patient demand were cited as the main causes of tiredness.

Responding to the survey, one Consultant said: “We do 24-hour shifts on Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in the weekday and 48 hours at weekends. Most of that time we are resident and there is no access to any on call facilities. The Trust provide us with a chair on the unit in front of patients to sleep on. We use the PICU toilet to brush our teeth on these 2-day shifts and there is no access to a shower.”

With six in ten doctors saying they aren’t confident that workplace pressures will improve over the next year, it’s no surprise that almost half have considered reducing working hours and one in five are actively looking to work abroad.

Dr Udvitha Nandasoma, Head of Advisory Services at the MDU said:
"These findings paint a stark picture of a healthcare workforce continually being pushed to the limit. Doctors want to provide the best possible care for their patients, but unsustainable pressure, understaffed services and increasing workloads are leaving them exhausted and demoralised.

"Doctors are used to making high stakes decisions every day, but doing that under pressure, without enough sleep or support is not only draining for medical professionals but can have grave consequences for patient safety.

"It’s no surprise that many doctors tell us they are considering leaving the profession altogether, but we can’t afford to lose skilled and dedicated professionals in this way. This should act as a wakeup call to Government and healthcare leaders to prioritise support for doctors, which will improve both retention of healthcare staff and patient safety."

The MDU is calling for NHS employers to ensure that staff catering and rest facilities are provided for staff, including for those working out of hours. They are also calling for an ongoing commitment to continue funding for programmes and services that support doctors and dentists at risk of burnout such as NHS Practitioner Health or Staff Treatment Hubs.

Below is a selection of responses from medical professionals to the survey:

Consultant or specialist: I think the pressures are relentless and the worst part is the moral injury because this is not how we wish to treat our patients or how we would want our relatives treated

GP: Workload continues to increase due to less availability in secondary care. We are looking after more complicated patients with no increase in knowledge and experience. This raises risk of complaints and stress along with a feeling of inadequacy

SAS Career Grade Doctor: Repeated staff shortages and high patient demand create prolonged overcrowding and time pressure, which can compromise flow, communication, and timely decision-making. I've noticed a direct impact on fatigue and wellbeing, and increased anxiety around complaints/regulatory processes despite practicing safely. Practical improvements would include robust escalation when the department is unsafe, reliable senior cover at peak times, better access to debriefing after challenging events, and clearer management accountability for recurrent rota gaps.

One in three doctors consider quitting as stress and staff shortages risk patient safety, warns the MDU