{"id":131784,"date":"2025-09-12T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T08:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/131784\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T08:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T08:00:23","slug":"disabled-doctors-consider-leaving-nhs-over-shift-inflexibility-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/131784\/","title":{"rendered":"Disabled doctors consider leaving NHS over shift inflexibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jenny ReesHealth correspondent, BBC Wales<\/p>\n

\"BritishBritish Medical Association<\/p>\n

Dr Alice Gatenby has been told “it’s too much hassle” to change shifts to accommodate her disability<\/p>\n

A disabled doctor, who believes the NHS sees it as “too difficult or inconvenient” to give her support, says she has considered leaving the profession. <\/p>\n

Dr Alice Gatenby said senior colleagues told her she was “not a real doctor” because her epilepsy means she does not work night shifts.<\/p>\n

A survey by the British Medical Association<\/a> (BMA) of more than 800 disabled and neurodivergent doctors and medical students found more than half felt ableism was a bigger issue in the medical profession than in wider society.<\/p>\n

The Welsh government said it expected all NHS organisations to support inclusion, and they were also legally required to support disabled staff through reasonable adjustments.<\/p>\n

Health boards in Wales are responsible for rotas, but NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership<\/a> said as an inclusive employer it supports employers and resident doctors with adjustments needed.<\/p>\n

However, south Wales-based Dr Gatenby said: “The irony of a healthcare system being unwilling to make small adjustments for someone with epilepsy isn’t lost on me.<\/p>\n

“It feels like the system sees supporting me as too difficult or inconvenient, even if it means losing someone capable and passionate about caring for patients.”<\/p>\n

Dr Liz Murray spent more than a decade working in the NHS, simultaneously managing a number of chronic conditions, but left two years ago because of the barriers she felt were put in place.<\/p>\n

The Norfolk-based doctor has lupus, severe endometriosis, bladder and bowel damage as well as hip problems, which mean she uses mobility aids. <\/p>\n

But her requests for part-time hours and no night shifts were declined.<\/p>\n

“I have a slightly dysfunctional immune system and am really susceptible to infections with big changes in life, or disruption to sleep and environmental stresses,” said the 37-year-old.<\/p>\n

“They can cause joint flare ups where I can’t walk or can’t use my hands, and it affects my vision.”<\/p>\n

She said for a long time she felt her health conditions were to blame for leaving the profession, but now feels it was the inflexibilities within the system.<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Liz Murray<\/p>\n

Dr Liz Murray worked for the NHS for over a decade but her requests to work flexibly to manage her own health were always declined<\/p>\n

Despite doctor shortages in her region, she felt she had to leave a role with sick pay and maternity benefits, and opt for locum work because it provided greater flexibility.<\/p>\n

She added: “I was seen as the problem – I realised how much of a toll it was taking on my health and had to say enough is enough.”<\/p>\n

While still working full-time, she now does so in a way that suits her needs.<\/p>\n

Dr Murray also set up charity Mortal and Strong<\/a>, to better support those with life-changing, chronic conditions. <\/p>\n

\"DrDr Liz Murray<\/p>\n

Dr Liz Murray has set up the charity Mortal and Strong, to better support those with life-changing, chronic conditions<\/p>\n

The BMA’s survey found 53% of respondents had either left the profession in the past two years, or had seriously considered it. <\/p>\n

Over a third had reported bullying or harassment linked to their disability, neurodivergence or long-term health condition.<\/p>\n

However, 40% said that telling their place of work or study had led to improved support.<\/p>\n

Tricia Roberts is a clinical nurse specialist within adult ADHD services at Hywel Dda health board, in west Wales.<\/p>\n

She was diagnosed with ADHD aged 42, and autism at 47.<\/p>\n

“I’ve been privileged to work in positions where the service gets it,” said the 49-year-old.<\/p>\n

“I’m allowed to have flexible working and feel I can be myself.”<\/p>\n

However, she added if funding was available, additional admin support would allow her “to thrive”.<\/p>\n

She explained a staff network for neurodivergent colleagues across the health board was “really empowering” as people felt supported.<\/p>\n

\"TriciaTricia Roberts<\/p>\n

Tricia Roberts said the neurodivergent staff network in her health board area had allowed many to feel better understood and supported<\/p>\n

Dr Gatenby added: “If I were a teacher, I wouldn’t need to go through a lengthy process to prove I’m disabled every time I changed classrooms. <\/p>\n

“But as a doctor with an invisible disability, I must prove to a disability panel that I’m still disabled every single year.”<\/p>\n

She is genuinely considering leaving medicine, but said: “I don’t want to, but what choice do I have? <\/p>\n

“And yet, I think ‘if I walk away, who will be left to advocate for other doctors like me?'”<\/p>\n

Dr Gatenby described how senior colleagues said “you’re not a real doctor” because she cannot do on-call shifts.<\/p>\n

“Yet when I ask to be included in weekend rotas, I’m told it’s too much hassle unless I can manage 12-hour shifts straight,” she added.<\/p>\n

The BMA is trying to address the issues raised in the survey, as nearly three quarters had not received all of the reasonable adjustments they required.<\/p>\n

Chairman of the BMA’s Representative Body Dr Amit Kochhar said: “Disabled doctors and medical students are present at every level of the profession, contributing as valued and vital members of the medical workforce.<\/p>\n

“Providing appropriate support is not only the right thing to do, it’s essential.<\/p>\n

“A lack of disability and neurodiversity awareness, coupled with discrimination and stigma, can significantly impact disabled doctors’ lives and careers.”<\/p>\n

He added those who had already overcome personal hurdles should not face additional barriers, such as rigid exam policies or being unfairly penalised throughout their careers.<\/p>\n

Leandra Craine, from Disability Wales, responded to the survey by saying: “Not only is this concerning for the healthcare sector itself but raises a significant issue when it comes to accounting for and treating disabled people.<\/p>\n

“Without the inclusion and representation of disabled people in all areas of life, society-wide empathy and accessibility will never be achieved.”<\/p>\n

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership said: “As an inclusive employer, we support resident doctors with any adjustments they need.<\/p>\n

“We securely record and share these adjustments with the health boards where they are based to implement.<\/p>\n

“We can work with health boards to support them in this as needed.<\/p>\n

“As health boards are responsible for the rota management we actively work with them to review reasonable adjustments – including shift patterns and night working.”<\/p>\n

The Welsh government added: “We expect all NHS Wales organisations to actively promote inclusion and they are legally required to support disabled staff through reasonable adjustments and anti-discrimination measures under the Equality Act.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jenny ReesHealth correspondent, BBC Wales British Medical Association Dr Alice Gatenby has been told “it’s too much hassle”…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":131785,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-131784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}