GP wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

In this episode we talk to Dr Laura Jefferson who is a Research Fellow at the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. Paper: General practitioner wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2021.0680 (https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2021.0680) Many GPs have reported stress and burnout over recent years, which is potentially damaging not just to doctors themselves, but also to patients and healthcare systems. The coronavirus pandemic has presented new challenges and there is a need to evaluate the impact on GP wellbeing. This review synthesises the international evidence base exploring primary care doctors’ psychological wellbeing during the pandemic. Studies have highlighted multiple sources of stress during this time and reported experiences of stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, fear of COVID, reduced job satisfaction and physical symptoms. Gender and age differences may warrant further research to identify interventions targeted to the needs of specific groups.