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UK healthcare workers are the least likely to embark on the same career path if they had to join their profession again now, a global survey from WISH has found.
The study by YouGov, on behalf of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), revealed that 59% of healthcare workers in the UK said that a higher workload has been one of the biggest changes they have experienced since the beginning of the Covid pandemic.
It found that only 35% of practitioners in the UK would still train as healthcare professionals if joining the industry now, as opposed to 90% in India, 85% in Nigeria, and 76% in Saudi Arabia. The reasons included lack of focus on mental health support, along with a mounting pressure on resources.
The survey, which included healthcare professionals from the UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India, and Brazil, aimed to gain insights into the impacts of dealing with Covid-19 on healthcare workers’ lives and explore what the future of healthcare might look like according to those serving on the frontline of care delivery.
Frailty of the UK’s health system
Participants were asked to consider trends they predicted to be prevalent in their industry over the next five years. In the UK, only 17% thought that an increased investment into research and development would be a trend, compared with those in India (60%), Nigeria (57%), Saudi Arabia (38%), Brazil (33%), and the US (25%).
In addition, 70% (the highest number recorded) thought that a pressure on resources in the industry would remain a trend in the coming years. This was much higher than their colleagues in Brazil (27%), Nigeria (28%), India (31%), Saudi Arabia (38%) and the US (57%).
Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH, said: “These findings point to the frailty of the UK’s health system and demand urgent corrective action through increased investment in workforce training and development, as well as a sharpened focus on mental health support and advocacy to ensure staff retention.
“The challenges highlighted mean that governments, policymakers, and industry leaders still have a lot to learn from the lessons of the ongoing pandemic. We urge them to accelerate efforts to address the concerns of healthcare practitioners and develop effective mechanisms to tackle the issues that are negatively impacting the national health system’s ability to keep communities protected against future health emergencies.”
WISH, a health initiative of Qatar Foundation, is a global platform which gathers healthcare experts, policymakers, and innovators to unite in the goal of building a healthier world.