Junior Doctors today are suffering high rates of burn out and negative mental health.Crucially, poor health leads to low staff retention, contributing to the biggest crisis facing the NHS today – workforce attrition. Who heals the healer? A culture of blame and ‘resilience’ at all cost means many doctors suffer in silence and asking for help can be the hardest words to find. This research advocates the need for ongoing, active mental health support for Junior Doctors to acknowledge, track and be signposted to support services before they present with serious mental health issues. The Junior Doctor Circle is an app specifically designed for Junior Doctors to share their stories and begin a conversation about their mental health privately with their professional peers. We must support doctors before they burn out or are forced to take sick leave. We must appreciate that by supporting doctors’ physical and mental well-being that we are strengthening the very backbone of the NHS.
