“Why are doctors so miserable” – prominent GP expert explores issue at lecture

National GP leader Professor Dame Clare Gerada will explore the issues that have contributed to making the healthcare workforce so unhappy in her keynote talk at the University of Exeter next month.

Clare is former Chair and President or the Royal College of General Practitioners, only the second woman to hold that position. At her lecture on September 12, she will share her insights into the issues of identity, community and structure which have led to doctors becoming vulnerable to burnout, depression, addiction and even suicide. The hybrid event will be followed by a Q&A, and in-person attendees will be invited to a networking opportunity.

In the second talk in the University of Exeter Medical School’s annual Distinguished Lecture Series, Clare will draw on evidence, and on her book, Beneath the White Coat. Doctors, Their Minds and Mental Health. She will also speak from her own experience of setting up and leading both the Primary Care Gambling Service and NHS Practitioner Health which serves healthcare workers with mental health issues.

Clare was awarded an MBE in 2000 for her services to mental health, and a Damehood in 2020 for services to mental health. She said: “Medicine has always been an incredibly demanding profession, intellectually and emotionally. We’re seeing more burnout and despair than ever before. In this talk, I’ll explore the many factors that have led to this, and what the future might look like for the profession.”

Clare will explore factors including identity, belonging, public attitudes and expectations, systems and the role of technology, including AI.

Professor Richard Holland, Dean of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Clare, who brings an incredible wealth of expertise in the field of mental health of medical practitioners. She has repeatedly pioneered by setting up new services to support clinicians, and her insight has never been more needed. We pride ourselves on our work to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals, and that means having a strong understanding of the issues our graduates face today.”

As part of her visit, Clare will attend a workshop with researchers and partners of ‘Care Under Pressure’, an Exeter-led programme of research which aims to understand the causes of mental health problems amongst the health profession and make evidence-based recommendations. The workshop will explore key findings and impact of Care Under Pressure from 2015 to 2025 and occurs ten years after Clare was keynote speaker for the symposium that started the Care Under Pressure research.

The event is free to attend for University staff and students, and for NHS staff. A small charge applies to other attendees. Find out more via our web page: Distinguished Guest Lecture Series | Exeter University