The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has launched Recover, rebuild, renew, a follow up report to our 2019 manifesto calls, Breaking down barriers: Our action plan for the next Welsh government.
The past 12 months have put immense strain on the health and care workforce. Thousands of clinicians and care workers are exhausted; some will be close to burnout. A recent survey of RCP members found that almost one-third had sought mental health support during the pandemic.
In our 2019–2020 annual census of consultant physicians in Wales, 40% of respondents reported daily or weekly rota gaps, and 23% said this causes significant patient safety problems in their hospital. Almost three-quarters of respondents in Wales said their work-life balance had been negatively affected by rota gaps and consultant vacancies.
The RCP is now calling on the next Welsh government to commit to:
- Better NHS workforce support
- Investment in community medicine
- Action to tackle inequalities.