Your wellbeing
Welcome to the Wellbeing and Welfare page!
As Paediatricians, we work in a deeply rewarding, but challenging field of medicine, often exposed to extremes of emotions. High work-load, rota gaps, risk of fatigue/burnout, and studying for postgraduate MRCPCH exams are all additional stressors which can impact on our wellbeing and welfare.
Paediatrics ranked third for very heavy/heavy workload in the 2024 NHS National Training Survey! ​
An important part of training is learning how to look after ourselves and find a balance.
​
The West Midlands School of Paediatrics is keen to support trainees. There is now a Trainee Welfare Representative on the Trainee Committee, who can be contacted via email.​
​
The following link has a list of useful resources from HEE West Midlands, RCPCH and Physician Burnout: https://linktr.ee/wtpwelfare
​
Recognising Burnout
Burnout is defined as emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment.
It can manifest in a multitude of ways, so it can be hard to spot sometimes!
Physical burnout - fatigue, poor sleep
Emotional burnout - detachment, irritability
Cognitive burnout - poor concentration, decision fatigue
Burnout may be more common than we think - The 2024 NHS National Training Survey revealed that one in five (19%) paediatric trainees felt at high risk of burnout!
If you do feel at risk of burnout, or are suffering from burnout, it’s okay to ask for help. You’re not alone in this.