Associate feature: The Wounded Healer: moral distress among health professionals

“My moral distress comes from not being able to provide the level of service I would hope for from the NHS. Patients (particularly the elderly) lined up on trolleys along corridors asking for help when you walk past is probably the thing that distresses me most about work at the moment.”

This is just one of many accounts shared with the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) by doctors describing the ‘moral distress’ they experience at work every day.

Moral distress is the unease doctors feel when they are unable to ensure a patient gets the speed, quality or type of care that their skills, training and judgment tell them the sick person needs. 

The emotional toll of moral distress should not be downplayed, as it has the capability to erode the morale and resilience in already overburdened doctors and dentists - pressures that can then impact directly on patients.

In Scotland, more than half (57%) of doctors and dentists experience moral distress, made worse by the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the current state of the NHS. The figures are higher still among GPs, with four in five across the UK experiencing the condition.

With their patients facing ‘corridor care’, long waiting times and medicine shortages alongside preventable conditions worsened by the cost-of-living crisis, many practitioners feel understandably defeated. 

However, doctors and dentists need to feel empowered to speak up and challenge these issues.

Background

The findings are from a survey in 2023 by MDDUS of our membership of doctors and dentists across the UK. MDDUS is a leading medical defence organisation headquartered in Glasgow, dedicated to supporting and protecting healthcare professionals throughout their career.

We conduct an annual membership ‘attitudes’ survey to help us understand in detail the challenges facing our members. 

An untenable situation

Our most recent survey, conducted in September 2024, found that six in 10 (63%) of healthcare professionals in Scotland are experiencing compassion fatigue, a condition that makes it difficult to relate to and communicate with patients. We also found high levels of stress, anxiety, burnout and – most worryingly – suicidal ideation.

Something is badly wrong when so many practitioners are feeling overwhelmed, helpless and unable to cope with the demands of their job. It is an untenable situation in which many healthcare professionals are considering retiring early, leaving the country to practise abroad or leaving the profession entirely.

As we wrote in September, ignoring burnout in the NHS is a risk we can’t afford. There’s a degree of recognition of the problem – but action is still too fragmented and low profile for the scale of need.

Championing healthcare professionals

MDDUS will be hosting a reception at the Scottish Parliament on 5 March from 6-8pm, sponsored by Dame Jackie Baillie MSP. We aim to raise awareness of moral distress amongst doctors and dentists, as well as related issues affecting practitioners’ wellbeing. 

We’ll be joined by some of our members who will share their stories and experiences firsthand.  Leaders from the General Medical Council, Royal College of General Practitioners and British Medical Association will also be joining us to bring their valuable perspective.

The event will consider the following:

• The impact of moral distress and how this affects the mental health and practice of healthcare professionals.
• The subsequent impact on patients.
• Interconnected factors contributing to the exodus of healthcare staff, including compassion fatigue and burnout.
• What steps the government can take to factor this concern into its future workforce planning for NHS Scotland.

To learn more about moral distress and the mental health issues affecting the healthcare workforce, MSPs are encouraged to attend The Wounded Healer Reception at the Scottish Parliament on 5 March, 6-8 pm, sponsored by Dame Jackie Baillie MSP. The event is hosted by MDDUS.

This article is sponsored by MDDUS.

www.mddus.com