With patient care, charts, paperwork, back-to-back appointments, and more to deal with in any typical UK doctor’s day, reclaiming personal time for yourself can feel like an uphill battle. Add to this familiar scenario the backlog of patient appointments still leftover from the pandemic and the shortage of 40,000+ doctors in the UK, and having any kind of work-life balance can seem impossible.

Amidst the demands of your daily role and the current healthcare landscape, you also need to find time to organise your career-focused admin, for example staying on top of your compliance requirements for medical locum roles, and being vigilant about your supporting information for appraisals and revalidations.

But it’s important to remember that having good work-life balance is not impossible, and ProMedical are here to help you find useful ways you can have a good work-life balance and keep everything else in balance too, including paperwork and mental health!

What are the four pillars of a healthy work-life balance?

As doctors we get used to the idea of staying busy and working hard. After all, you’ve been conditioned throughout our education and career that doing so is the path to success. But without strategies for managing workloads, you can fall prey to burnout, depression and anxiety.

The four pillars of a healthy work-life balance can help you manage your responsibilities whilst carving out time for your own personal well-being. Use these pillars to help guide you:

1. Setting priorities

Use this step to identify what is important now, what can wait and what can be delegated

2. Time management

Set boundaries around your time, keep to your schedule and always ringfence time for relaxation

3. Stay focused

Tackle one task at a time and commit to daily practices to boost your focus

4. Invest in self care

Taking care of yourself is as important as any other task. Schedule time to have fun and connect with family and friends

 

What kind of admin do you need to deal with as a doctor?

Doctors in the UK are spending more time than ever on administrative tasks with one UK government study finding that community-facing doctors spend up to a third of their time, or around 88 working days a year, on administration and patient co-ordination. Depending on their role, doctors may be asked to do some or all the following types of admin:

• Clinical admin

Any tasks that are related to a doctor’s clinical practice such as updating patient records, issuing prescriptions, filling out discharge forms or ordering tests, scans and referrals.

• Career focused admin or Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Admin based around maintaining your personal professional development such as appraisals and revalidation paperwork, filling in CPD diaries, attending training sessions and job planning.

• Training and supervisory admin

Even without direct supervisory responsibilities you may be asked to provide feedback for colleagues, attend appraisal meetings or help with assessments.

• Day-to-day admin

Basic daily administrative tasks such as answering emails from colleagues or responding to patient queries and complaints.

• Compliance

If you are a medical locum or considering locum work, you will need to remain on top of your compliance admin and ensure all documents are up to date and sent to your dedicated consultant.

 

4 Tips to balance your work, your life, and your admin!

With all that admin you might find yourself just putting out fires as and when they come up. But with these four tips you can find ways to manage your administrative load, find greater balance and build in time for self-care:

1. Be realistic about your schedule

Your calendar and to do lists are crucial tools for managing your time and creating a realistic schedule. Being organised with your calendar can also help you spot potential issues before they arise. Explore tools and technology that can help you such as digital calendars, productivity apps, timers, and task managers.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

We know doctors are tempted to be stoic and take on more than they can handle. Instead, be honest with colleagues, friends, and family about your workload so they can help you where they can.

3. Use your holiday time and limit access while away

It can be easy to tell yourself you are helping your practice and colleagues by not taking your holidays. But if you are not relaxed and well rested, your work will suffer. Always use your holidays and create healthy boundaries at home by limiting work emails and calls while you are away.

4. Develop healthy habits

When you are relaxing what are you doing? Focus your downtime on healthy habits and developing hobbies that bolster your self-esteem beyond your job. Explore your creativity, spend time outdoors, or exercise. Eat well and develop healthy sleep habits. Be kind to your back and feet, but above all, be kind to yourself.

Finally, take some time every day to remind yourself of the incredible work you do and why you chose a medical locum career in the first place. Because you care.

 

Source your next medical locum role through ProMedical with minimal paperwork!

Our experienced and passionate recruitment consultants are highly trained, dedicated professionals who work with you and for you, ensuring you match with your perfect job quickly and easily. Focus on providing the best patient care and let ProMedical take care of your career.

Get in touch today to discuss your medical locum career.