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LONDON - More than half of British doctors questioned in a poll said morale within the profession is "poor" or "terrible", blaming government targets and reforms for the downbeat atmosphere.
A total of 54 per cent of the 1442 online survey respondents said morale within the profession was at a low, with more than two-thirds saying it had worsened during the past year.
Just 2 per cent said morale was "excellent" in the survey carried out by the magazine Hospital Doctor.
Nearly 70 per cent said they would not recommend a career in medicine to friends or relatives.
Factors behind the low morale included changing workloads and government moves to centralise hospitals.
"Cost-cutting turn-around programmes have been disastrous for morale," said one respondent.
"Staff have been turned against each other."
Jonathan Fielden, chairman of the British Medical Association's Consultants' Committee, said a medical workforce that "feels so downbeat is not good news for the NHS or patients".
"The result of this survey shows how demoralised so many doctors are feeling and how they believe constant government reforms and targets are taking them further away from their initial vocation -- to treat patients."
The magazine quoted Stephen Campion, chief executive of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, as saying: "Traditionally, many doctors have followed in their parents' footsteps and increasingly we are hearing doctors saying they wished they hadn't recommended a career in medicine to their children.
"This is indicative of the extreme frustration and low morale hospital doctors are feeling."
- REUTERS
