Our recent article in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health discusses burnout, a psychological response to chronic workplace stress that is particularly common in healthcare workers and which has been made worse by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Burnout is caused by factors such as increasing workload, inadequate support from employers and colleagues, and a stressful work environment. It has negative effects on both patients and healthcare professionals, including reduced patient satisfaction, an increase in medical errors, and decreased quality of care. Addressing burnout requires a multi-pronged approach involving individual and organisational-level strategies.
Managing people’s workload, providing individual-focused interventions like stress management, and offering professional development opportunities can help reduce burnout. Supportive leadership, peer support, and a healthy work-life balance are also important. Organisational culture and leadership play a crucial role in fostering these kind of supportive work environments. A culture of openness and support without stigma is also essential, as is the importance of appropriate support programmes rather than relying solely on individual resilience. Ultimately, preventing burnout and managing when it does occur requires collaborative efforts between healthcare systems and individual healthcare professionals.