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Health, well being and the work life balance

“As doctors we are used to supporting patients' health and well being, but we often neglect our own.” (Doctors Support Network website)

In most walks of life people will experience times when things are not going according to plan, or find that their quality of life is suffering at the expense of work, and as a doctor you will come across patients who should have sought help earlier. Medicine is a highly pressurised and demanding profession so it would be surprising if doctors did not experience similar pressure at times- you are human after all. You will not be the first, or the last, doctor to experience difficulties or problems and there are a number of places to access help.

Many doctors will find that they get a sympathetic hearing from their educational supervisor or clinical tutor and some Deaneries also have a designated person whose remit includes support around issues affecting performance. In addition, some also provide a confidential counselling service.

For some general guidelines on well-being, please click here to access a short hints and tips information tips, written by a Doctor in Exeter. (Reproduced with kind permission of Peninsula Deanery)

If you prefer to seek external or anonymous help there a number of different support networks available. The following may be of help:

BMA Health and Wellbeing
Tel: 0845 920 0169
For BMA members and their families- available 24 hours

Doctors Support Network (mental health)
Tel: 0844 395 3010
A self-help group for doctors with concerns regarding mental health.

Royal Medical Benevolent Fund
Tel: 0208 540 9194
For doctors and their dependants in need.

Sick Doctors Trust
Tel: 0370 444 5163
For doctors experiencing alcohol and/ or drug addiction

Support4Doctors
Tel: 0208 545 8443
Handling pressure, maintaining a healthy work/life balance and alternative sources of help and careers.

Psychiatry Support Service for Foundation Doctors

The Psychiatrist Support Service (PSS) is a telephone advice service offered to members and associates of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Associate membership of the college is available to medical students and foundation doctors and is free. On the college website there is information for doctors experiencing difficulties in the workplace, and the PSS have produced information leaflets on bullying and harassment, managing complaints, dealing with exams amongst others. The PSS has a manager who takes telephone calls from psychiatrists. If appropriate the callers details are then passed onto one of the PSS’ advisers. In most situations the caller speaks to an adviser on only one occasion and solutions to manage the difficulty are generated. The PSS is not a counselling service, or a long term support service, and contact is limited to telephone calls only.

The PSS can be contacted by telephone (020 7245 0412) or email

Work/Life Balance

Trying to maintain a balance between work and non-work commitments can be a challenge particularly when training. There is no right or wrong either: what works for some doesn’t necessarily work for others. Using the word ‘balance’ can also be misleading as increasingly work and non-work commitments overlap and blend.

Possible solutions if you feel work is taking over your life include training flexibly (Less than full time training), changing specialty direction or considering a move out of medicine altogether. However, before taking these steps it is worth identifying your present work/life blend and your ideal. 

Windmills have developed a useful way of identifying and developing your unique work/life blend. Click here for further information and practical activities.

Other useful sources include the National Medical Careers website. 

For useful articles written by doctors, visit the BMJ careers website.