6606 SOS (save our ship) an existential crisis for the named Drs?

Objectives Background As per WHO, 'Burnout' is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Aim We wanted to see the impact of undertaking extremely stressful safeguarding work on the Named Doctor fraternity in the UK. Methods We designed an extensive survey based on the RCPCH job description for Named Doctors to identify the challenges our fraternity is experiencing in the UK. We requested the Named National Professional Forum members to respond to our survey request. Results We identified that the following five themes summarize difficulties faced by our fraternity in 2023: Conclusion The scale of the Problem: Over ninety-five per cent of the respondents report ''often feeling stressed'' due to this emotionally draining work and lack of support About fifteen per cent of the respondents report that they are already suffering from burnout Over fifty per cent of the respondents report being at a significant risk of experiencing burnout Solution: The respondents feel that the following steps should be taken immediately at the organisational level to improve the situation by providing realistic time, appropriate support and improving staffing levels. RCPCH should revisit the job description for the Named Doctors and make it mandatory for the organisation to follow the recommendations. Limitations of this survey: A small sample size Representation is only from England. No contribution from other nations in the UK. Reference Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care (parliament.uk) https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-08/named_doctor_for_child_protection_-_model_job_description_and_competencies_2019_0.pdf.