Exploring ‘work–life balance’ at appraisal and how this links with organisational support

The ‘work–life balance’ (WLB) issues of doctors are often neglected, contributing to the problems of recruitment and retention.¹ Many GPs are now working part-time and retiring early because of pressures of work.^2,3 And the 2017 National GP Worklife Survey shows only 49.9% of GPs are satisfied with work, 92.3% report pressure from ‘increasing workloads’, and 46.0% of GPs plan to leave within the next 5 years.⁴ GPs with increased work stress and intensity report higher levels of anxiety, depression, and dissatisfaction,⁵ leading to poor WLB, with consequences of deteriorating health and burnout, perfunctory patient care, and increased healthcare system costs.⁶

The NHS has expected doctors to be responsible for their own health, WLB, and wellbeing, following the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice.⁷ But could the UK learn from the experience of ‘the Mayo Clinic program‘ in the US,⁶ which has improved doctors’ wellbeing with organisational support following these nine steps?