ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Workload and stress in consultant medical microbiologists and virologists: a questionnaire survey

K Cartwright¹, D Lewis², C Roberts³, A Bint⁴, T Nichols⁵, F Warburton⁵

¹ PHLS South West, Public Health Laboratory, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK
² CDSC South West, Public Health Laboratory, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK
³ Royal College of Pathologists, 2 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AF, UK
⁴ Public Health Laboratory, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP, UK
⁵ PHLS Statistics Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor K Cartwright, PHLS South West, Public Health Laboratory, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK

Aims: To document demography, changing workload patterns, job satisfaction, morale, and prevalence of stress and psychological morbidity among UK consultant medical microbiologists and virologists.

Method: A questionnaire survey of all identified UK practising consultant medical microbiologists and virologists (n= 464).

Results: Among 367 respondents (79%), there were 33 virologists and at least 89 single handed consultants. Over half the respondents (58%) were working a 1 : 1 or 1 : 2 on call rota during the week and a similar proportion (51%) at weekends. Of all consultants (including those working part time), 56% were working more than 48 hours weekly. Working more than 48 hours weekly, and being on call 1 : 1 or 1 : 2 at weekends, were both independently associated with increased psychological morbidity. Those on call 1 : 1 or 1 : 2 at weekends were also more likely to have low or very low morale. Female consultants were more likely to have higher stress scores. More than half of the respondents (208 of 363; 57%) were making active financial provision to retire early, and 198 of 363 (55%) did not intend to work beyond the age of 60.

Conclusions: The long hours worked by many consultant microbiologists and virologists are in breach of the European Working Time Directive and are associated with a higher degree of psychological morbidity. For most consultants, the frequency of on call commitments is demanding and job satisfaction and morale have deteriorated. Urgent action is needed, particularly to support those working more than 48 hours each week and those on call at weekends 1 : 1 or 1 : 2. However, a major expansion of the consultant establishment cannot be achieved rapidly, and will be slowed further if early retirements become more frequent.

Keywords: medical microbiology; virology; workload; stress; workforce planning

Abbreviations: ACP, Association of Clinical Pathologists; AMM, Association of Medical Microbiologists; CI, confidence interval; DGH, district general hospital; NHS, National Health Service; PHLS, Public Health Laboratory Service; RCPath, the Royal College of Pathologists

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