The attractiveness of acute medical care

Increased demand on urgent and emergency care leads to situations where physicians and junior doctors are working unsustainable hours delivering service. This results in insufficient time for training and dissatisfaction among current junior doctors. ‘Burn out’ in more experienced doctors and consultants, due to the demands of the role, becomes common. The dissolution felt by the current training and trained workforce permeates and it is difficult to attract junior doctors into a career in acute medical care.

Proposed workforce impact

• There are high vacancy rates and a high rate of attrition.

Sources or references

• www.ccme.org/ema/samples/download_essay.aspx
• www.lewrockwell.com/2012/09/joseph-mercola/nearly-half-of-u-s-doctors-strugglingwithburnout/

Additional research questions

• What are the ways to mitigate burn out through career progression?
• How does the shift from specialty to GP training impact on acute medical care attractiveness?

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.