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Analysis

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

Jeremy Ferguson, Samantha Scallan, Johnny Lyons-Maris and Kerry Ball
British Journal of General Practice 2020; 70 (697): 411-412. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X712109
Jeremy Ferguson
Blackmore Vale, Dorset.
Roles: GP
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Samantha Scallan
GP Education Unit, Southampton University Hospital Trust, Southampton.
Roles: Education Research Lead
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Johnny Lyons-Maris
GP Education Unit, Southampton University Hospital Trust, Southampton.
Roles: Associate Dean
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Kerry Ball
University of Winchester, Winchester.
Roles: Research Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Education
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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?

ACKNOWLEDGE AND ASSESS THE PROBLEM

In Wessex an optional WLB questionnaire was added to an online appraisal platform,8 to encourage doctors to think about their own WLB. This commenced in June 2018 and it has proved to be popular, being used in the first year by 2602 GPs (49% response).9 The quantitative results from the first 6 months (n = 1046) were used for statistical factor analysis, indicating that 54% of GPs responding have significant ‘work-overload risking burnout’. Could these results be biased by self-selecting responders who …

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British Journal of General Practice: 70 (697)
British Journal of General Practice
Vol. 70, Issue 697
August 2020
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Exploring ‘work–life balance’ at appraisal and how this links with organisational support
Jeremy Ferguson, Samantha Scallan, Johnny Lyons-Maris, Kerry Ball
British Journal of General Practice 2020; 70 (697): 411-412. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp20X712109

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Exploring ‘work–life balance’ at appraisal and how this links with organisational support
Jeremy Ferguson, Samantha Scallan, Johnny Lyons-Maris, Kerry Ball
British Journal of General Practice 2020; 70 (697): 411-412. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp20X712109
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  • Top
  • Article
    • ACKNOWLEDGE AND ASSESS THE PROBLEM
    • HARNESS THE POWER OF LEADERSHIP
    • DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT TARGETED INTERVENTIONS
    • CULTIVATE COMMUNITY AT WORK
    • USE REWARDS AND INCENTIVES WISELY
    • ALIGN VALUES AND STRENGTHEN CULTURE
    • PROMOTE FLEXIBILITY AND WORK–LIFE INTEGRATION
    • PROVIDE RESOURCES TO PROMOTE RESILIENCE AND SELF-CARE
    • FACILITATE RESEARCH AND SUPPORT FOR DOCTORS’ WELLBEING
    • FINAL THOUGHTS
    • Acknowledgments
    • Notes
    • REFERENCES
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More in this TOC Section

  • Focused action is required to protect ethnic minority populations from COVID-19 post-lockdown
  • The multimorbidity dead end: how we got here and possible ways out
  • Digital health in primary care: risks and recommendations
Show more Analysis

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