On achieving a good enough work-life balance in General Practice
Event overview
It is widely recognised that GPs are experiencing an increase in patient demand, whilst struggling with high workloads and longer working hours.
The Department of Health’s is working to deliver its aim to increase the number of GPs and provide more staff and support to General Practices. However, there is some indication that GP numbers have fallen since September 2018, and a recent survey of GPs have found that 39 per cent think they are unlikely to still be working for the NHS in 5 years’ time.
In this demanding context, how do GPs achieve a good enough work-life balance? What are the conscious and unconscious factors which makes a work-life balance difficult to achieve and what strategies help? This Thinking Space will provide an opportunity to explore this important but underexplored area to develop a deeper understanding of the various factors involved, including consideration of the ‘martyr complex’, which describes a tendency to deny one’s own needs.
Dr Moyra McCAllister, GP Partner, City and Hackney CCG
Tim Kent, Consultant Primary care Psychotherapist and Divisional Director for Adult and Forensic Services at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. Tim has a longstanding interest in Psycho-Physiological medicine and Psychoanalytical understanding of attachment in doctor patient relationships and the interface between human emotional experience and the meaning of providing physical and emotional care to patients. Tim runs several groups for GPs and whole practice teams; contemporary Balint, reflective practice and therapeutic supervision groups often including receptionists & administrators as well as clinicians.