Doctors are less likely to feel the impact of their strikes as one in three abuse their position to bridge waiting lists, a survey has found.
Doctors have forced patients to wait longer for care by walking out of hospitals one after the other because of their wages, while shamelessly skipping the queues themselves.
Work strikes have led to the cancellation of more than 1 million appointments in the past year and NHS waiting lists have risen to a record 7.75 million.
However, many doctors appear to be immune to the consequences of their actions, admitting that they have enlisted the favors of colleagues to help them avoid delays.
A survey of 826 British doctors by medical website Medscape found that a third (34 percent) access treatment more quickly than the general public.
Doctors have forced patients to wait longer for care by walking out of hospitals one after the other because of their wages, while shamelessly skipping the queues themselves. Work strikes have led to the cancellation of more than 1 million appointments in the past year and NHS waiting lists have risen to a record 7.75 million. However, many doctors appear to be immune to the consequences of their actions, admitting that they have enlisted the favors of colleagues to help them avoid delays.
Official data released earlier this month shows that 118,026 hospital appointments in England were rescheduled due to a three-day strike by consultants and junior doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) in October. Radiographers also joined the picket lines. An estimated further 4,415 appointments in mental health, learning disability and community settings have been cancelled
The widening backlog in England stood at 7.75 million in August – the equivalent of one in seven people. This includes nearly 400,000 people stuck in the system for more than a year, often in pain
And more than half (51 percent) think they are more likely to receive better treatment options, such as not having to wait as long before switching to the next drug or procedure.
A fifth (22 percent) say they can refer themselves directly to a specialist, avoiding the need to convince a gatekeeping GP to provide access to tests, scans and more expert advice.
The poll also found that 33 percent of physicians believe they are receiving better care and 56 percent question their own doctor’s choices.
Additionally, 33 percent of physicians surveyed said they would “often or sometimes” seek treatment from friends who were also physicians.
A trainee doctor boasted that doctors had ‘more tests and quicker referrals’ to specialists.
And a GP revealed she waited three weeks for an MRI for a torn ACL and “only got it because I personally spoke to orthopedics to plead my case.”
Patient groups responded to the findings this evening, saying doctors should not abuse their position and wait like everyone else.
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patient Association, said: ‘Being well informed is often an advantage and this research shows how useful an understanding of the healthcare system is.
‘But knowledge and connections should not be used to gain unfair advantage.
“We want all patients to be as informed as physicians about their options and to work with their physicians to increase patient choice.”
Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for older Brits, said: ‘Club members can always pull the strings, but doctors should avoid queuing when waiting lists are so long.
‘As part of their professional development, they should be periodically required to examine the real patient experience of delays, cancellations and stress.’
Dr. John Whyte of Medscape said: ‘Doctors have a reputation for making the worst patients.
‘What this often means in reality is that doctors have a high level of health literacy; meaning they understand the diagnosis and treatment pathways.
“Healthcare professionals may speak shorthand, which can inherently require them to hit the fast-forward button on treatment decisions.”
A BMA spokesperson said: ‘Doctors share patients’ frustration at how difficult it can be to navigate between different parts of the NHS, but we must caution against making blanket assumptions based on a survey of a relatively small number of doctors .
‘The majority of respondents to this survey did not say they could get care faster because they were doctors, but unsurprisingly some doctors say they find it easier to follow often complex and overly bureaucratic NHS pathways than the big audience. , while also being able to articulate their own health concerns in a way that could potentially streamline this process.
‘We also know that, given the massive workforce shortages, doctors are feeling pressure not to take time off work when they are ill, and are therefore likely to want to do everything they can to ensure that any health issue is addressed quickly so that they are able to continue caring for patients.
‘Waiting lists were at record levels before any industrial action by doctors and are the result of continued understaffing and underfunding of the health service.’