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Doctors in the West Midlands 'very concerned' over backlog of cases due to Covid-19, survey shows

More than three-fifths of doctors in the West Midlands say they are "very concerned" over the backlog of non-Covid-19 care, a survey has revealed.

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Figures from the British Medical Association (BMA) show more than 60 per cent fear patients' health will suffer due to the surge in waiting times.

It comes as leaders from the trade union have called on health chiefs to have an "honest conversation" over how the backlog will be tackled.

Dr Stephen Millar, chair of the BMA West Midlands Regional Council, said: "As these survey findings show, front line doctors have very real concerns about the indirect and long-term impact of the pandemic on their patients’ health and on their own wellbeing.

"Owing to more than a decade of underfunding, our NHS went into the pandemic short on staff, short on capacity and short on resources.

"Doctors and other healthcare workers are tired and exhausted and they must be given adequate time to rest and recuperate to avoid burnout. Many will need timely and ongoing support from psychological and occupational health services, which can be a challenge in many areas. We need a commitment from health leaders that we will be given the right support needed to deal with the backlog.

“Patients need assuring that the NHS is still open and that they can count on us to provide them with the care and treatment they need, but government and local health care providers must be honest with the public about the need for a realistic approach to doing this."

Other data from the survey showed more than half of doctors in the West Midlands are either not very, or not at all, confident their department or practice will be able to manage patient demand – with more than 60 per cent fearing it will take more than a year to clear the backlog.

And almost two-fifths of doctors in the region say they are suffering from depression, anxiety, stress, burnout, emotional distress or other mental health conditions worsened by the pandemic.

Dr Millar added: "We urgently need our local health leaders to work with front line staff to lay out their plans for how we can move forwards to protect the welfare of health workers and give patients the life changing and life preserving treatments they need and minimise further deaths due to excessive waits."

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