David Oliver looks at how a narrow focus on clinical presenteeism and productivity, and diminishing time allotted for non-clinical activities can have a negative effect on moral and gives trainees a discouraging view of what working life as a senior doctor will be like:
To become an effective consultant, learning through clinical practice isn’t sufficient: it increasingly requires grounding in leadership, management, research, appraisal, and quality improvement. These skills are taught by existing consultants, taking time away from direct patient care. Consultant readiness is also partly acquired when juniors occasionally act as decision maker or team leader, when consultants are working away from the wards. I wonder whether one cause of poor morale in trainees is their close-up view of what working life is now like for the senior doctors they will become. Rising demand, worsening finances, targets, bed pressures, and workforce gaps put more strain on consultants, and burnout is a risk.