Why are doctors so unhappy?
BMJ 2001; 322 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7294.1073 (Published 05 May 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;322:1073
- Richard Smith, editor
- BMJ
There are probably many causes, some of them deep
See editorial p 1078 News pp 1082, 1083
Doctors are unhappy. They are not all unhappy all the time, but when doctors gather, their conversation turns to misery and talk of early retirement. The unhappiness has been illustrated in a plethora of surveys and manifests itself in talk of a mass resignation by general practitioners from the NHS.1 The British government is rattled by the unhappiness of doctors, recognising that a health service staffed by demoralised doctors cannot flourish. It has responded by trying to hand more control of the service to frontline staff. 2 3 But is this the right treatment? Treatment must, of course, follow diagnosis, and the causes of doctors' unhappiness may be many and deep.
Doctors and patients: redrafting a bogus contract
The bogus contract: the patient's view
Modern medicine can do remarkable things: it can solve many of my problems
You, the doctor, can see inside me and know what's wrong
You know everything it's necessary to know
You can solve my problems, even my social problems
So we give you high status and a good salary
The bogus contract: the doctor's view
Modern medicine has limited powers
Worse, it's dangerous
We can't begin to solve all problems, especially social ones
I don't know everything, but I do know how …
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