Minimal opportunities to ‘debrief’ post-pandemic

The level of change experienced by public health doctors in a short timeframe has been “significant”, according to a new paper by the hospital doctor retention and motivation (HDRM) project. However, the research also noted many of the work-related changes have been positive.

The paper, published in Public Health, was based on interviews with public health doctors about their experience of the Covid-19 pandemic and the major public health reform programme.

The paper concluded that most of the changes “were positive”. These included the recognition of the role of public health doctors and the subsequent introduction of consultant status.

However, the authors found that “the level of change in a relatively short space of time was nevertheless significant”.

“As our paper illustrates, the onus is on the employing organisations to recognise the impact of these changes on public health doctors and to ensure that their employees feel valued and heard at all times, particularly during times of significant change,” they stated.

According to the paper, health management should invest in research-informed interventions to improve psychological safety and team culture for public health doctors within the new organisational structures.

Participants in the HDRM research described “pushing through” the pandemic by working long hours, absorbing the additional work intensity, and associated stress.

“They continued to work in this manner until the pandemic workload eased. They spoke about having had minimal opportunities to debrief and discuss the impact of the pandemic afterwards.

“One possible reason for the lack of a pandemic-related debrief for public health doctors is that the specialty began a period of significant organisational change in 2021.”

In recent years, the HDRM project has published considerable data about various doctor grades. The project concluded in December 2024.

Dr Niamh Humphries (PhD), Senior Lecturer, RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management, worked on the project. She told the Medical Independent it generated “huge insights” into how doctors felt about work and how conditions could be improved.

The research found that hospital doctors in Ireland endured difficult working conditions, long working hours, and a heavy workload.

Doctors described working in an overstretched, understaffed health system, leading to stress, exhaustion, and burnout among staff members.