EXHAUSTED, frustrated, and in need of a break: 14 months of coronavirus have taken their toll on many Welsh doctors, whose life-saving work during the pandemic has come at a cost.

That is the conclusion of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which has today called on all political parties in Wales to ensure the next Senedd government prioritises the recovery of the NHS and investment in more front-line staff.

"To put it bluntly, we need more doctors," said RCP vice-president for Wales, Dr Olwen Williams. "Waiting lists are getting longer. NHS staff are exhausted and need a break, but there aren’t enough of us to go round."

In an open letter to health service colleagues, RCP members working in intensive care praised the spirit of solidarity and "vital support" from across the NHS that have prevented critical care departments from being "completely overwhelmed" during the pandemic.

But these efforts have pushed staff to their limits, the RCP warned. Early results from the latest edition of the organisation's annual census found that in Wales:

• Nearly half of doctors reported regularly feeling frustrated.

• More than one-in-three doctors said they had regular sleeping problems.

• One in four doctors doesn't feel healthy or in control of their life.

• One in five respondents does not feel satisfied with their life.

The RCP findings follow similar warnings about staff pressures and wellbeing made by other professional organisations. Recently, the Welsh chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) told The National he feared a looming exodus from the NHS if government did not provide better support and pay.

The BMA has also urged new legislation to guarantee better staffing levels, warning that "the safety of our patients depends on staff working within a safe system".

READ MORE:

The past year has brought unprecedented challenges for the health service, but despite falling case rates and a successful vaccine programme, the NHS is not out of the woods yet and must address growing waiting lists for treatments that have been pushed back by the public health emergency.

This month the RCP asked its members how long they thought it would take for the NHS to recover from the pandemic. More than half (59 per cent) of respondents believe it will take at least 18 months, while 30 per cent think it will take more than two years.

The college warns current treatment backlogs and waiting times could be "exacerbated by workforce shortages and continuing delays for diagnostic testing". The recruitment of more doctors and medical workers into the NHS "must be an urgent priority for the new Welsh Government in their first few months in office," it said.

Dr Williams said older people were likely to make up one-third of the Welsh population by 2030, adding to demand on health and social care services.

"It takes more than 10 years to train a doctor – which is why it’s so important that the next Welsh Government increases medical school places as soon as possible," she added.

The RCP has welcomed parties' plans to build a new medical school in North Wales. The proposals were launched first in the Welsh Labour manifesto for the upcoming election and have since been matched by the Welsh Conservatives.

Parties have also pledged to increase the immediate NHS workforce, should they win power in May. Labour has promised 12,000 healthcare jobs; the Tories guarantee 3,000 nurses and 1,200 doctors. Plaid Cymru says it will train and recruit 5,000 new nurses and allied staff and 1,000 doctors; while the Welsh Liberal Democrats have vowed to extend laws on safe staffing across health and care.

Trainee doctor Alice Hoole said the pandemic "changed everything overnight" for all doctors and forced staff to find new, inventive and collaborative ways of dealing with the challenges of coronavirus.

"As we emerge from the pandemic, I would like to see more of a focus on the wellbeing of healthcare professionals," she added. "Staffing pressures – as well as the vast and ever-increasing workload at the front door – need to be addressed to help us provide the best care for our patients in the future."

This article orginally appeared on our sister site The National.