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<\/p>\nDisabled doctors are being bullied by colleagues and struggling to get NHS support, a report has claimed.<\/p>\n
The British Medical Association (BMA) surveyed more than 800 doctors and medical students who have disabilities or neurodivergent conditions such as \u00adautism and ADHD. A third of doctors said they had experienced bullying or harassment relating to their disability or long-term health condition.<\/p>\n
More than half said they had considered leaving their job or the medical profession due to a lack of support.<\/p>\n
Three quarters said they worried about being treated or viewed negatively, while 56 per cent said they believed discrimination against disabled people was worse in the medical profession than in wider society.<\/p>\n
Dr Alice Gatenby, a resident doctor who works in South Wales, has to manage epileptic seizures so is unable to do night shifts. She said: \u201cI\u2019ve had senior colleagues say to my face, \u2018You\u2019re not a real doctor\u2019, simply because I don\u2019t do on-call shifts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m at a point where I\u2019m considering leaving medicine. I don\u2019t want to but what choice do I have? And yet, I think, \u2018If I walk away who will be left to advocate for other doctors like me?\u2019<\/p>\n
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Dr Alice Gatenby is unable to do night shifts because of seizures<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a good doctor. But I can\u2019t get into training<\/a> because my brain doesn\u2019t work exactly the way the healthcare system expects it to. It feels like the system sees supporting me as too difficult \u2014 even if it means losing someone capable and passionate about caring for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n The survey found 73 per cent of doctors struggled to get reasonable adjustments \u2014 changes made by an organisation to support a disabled person, which were mandated by the Equality Act 2010. Half said they had to use annual leave to attend medical appointments related to their condition, while 43 per cent said they had used their own cash to pay for reasonable adjustments at their place of work or study.<\/p>\n Dr Amit Kochhar, chair of the BMA<\/a>\u2019s Representative Body, said it was \u201cworrying\u201d that only 34 per cent of respondents got improved support after disclosing their disability. He added that disabled doctors and students were vital members of the medical workforce.<\/p>\n