1351 The impact of political, economic and natural crises in the home countries of IMGs in the UK on their wellbeing, performance at the workplace and career progression 'Our stories doesn't start with the NHS'. (17th August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Easa, Habab; Baasher, Nadia; Babla, Kunal
• Is Part Of: Archives of disease in childhood. Volume 107(2022)Supplement 2
• Page Start: A357
• Page End: A358
• Publication Date: 2022-08-17
• Subjects: Children -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Infants -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2022-rcpch.577
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-9888

Abstract

Abstract : Aims: International medical graduates (IMGs) doctors form a significant proportion of the NHS workforce. The reasons behind the relocation to the UK vary from the strong aspiration for obtaining UK postgraduate degrees, getting the prestigious UK experience, and looking for a better quality of life. However, as the skills and expertise they transfer to the NHS are invaluable, it's paramount to shed light on several factors that might affect their wellbeing, performance in the workplace and career progression. Methods: To explore the impact of political, economic and natural crises in the countries of origin (COO) of IMG doctors on their wellbeing, performance at the workplace and career progression, a survey was designed by IMG trainees and distributed through social media platforms and was open to all IMG doctors across the UK. Results: We collected Seventy-six responses; more than 40% of the participants were paediatricians. The COO for most of the participants was Sudan, India, Pakistan, Egypt and Nigeria, respectively. 80% of the cohort stated that their personal and immediate family wellbeing had been affected directly in response to different crises in their COO. Those crises were political, economic, natural, starvation and civil wars. More than 80% of the cohort experienced depressed mood and high level of anxiety in response to that, while 60% reported poor concentration and low energy levels. 50% of the cohort reported a negative impact of those crises on their performance with solid themes of difficulties staying focused during the shifts and lacking concentration. Some of the narratives we quote were ' low drive and motivation', 'I became less enthusiastic', ' I called in sick once and had many breaks during the shifts to cry alone', 'I am always worried about the safety of my family', 'constantly checking news during my shifts looking for updates', 'Survivor guilt', and ' I became socially withdrawn'. 70% of the cohort were not comfortable making their supervisors and managers aware of their difficult circumstances for various reasons. Some of the reasons we quote were ' I am not sure of their support', 'I don't think they understand the complexity of our countries' and 'I worry that I might be perceived as less competent'. 70% of the cohort reported that their career progression had not been affected by those circumstances, 30% of the cohort said less engagement with portfolios and training opportunities. Conclusion: IMG doctors that come to work in the NHS from countries with significant political, military or economic crises suffer a significant degree of distress that impacts their wellbeing, performance and engagement with clinical work or development. It also reflects the reluctance towards informing supervisors and managers of the adverse circumstances they encounter. Further support measures or alternative approaches to supervision may be of benefit to these doctors.