A recent groundbreaking study has revealed that resident doctors in the NHS spend substantially more time on administrative duties than on direct patient care, a trend that raises serious concerns about the quality of training and patient outcomes. The national TACT Study, conducted by researchers at Imperial College London, found that junior doctors dedicate just 18% of their working hours to patients, while over 70% of their time is consumed by paperwork, including note-taking, chasing test results, and completing discharge letters. This imbalance is particularly worrying as effective clinical training and patient interaction are essential for developing diagnostic and treatment skills.

The study tracked 137 junior doctors across multiple NHS hospitals in England over a seven-month period in early 2024. It revealed that those earlier in their training, such as Foundation Year 1 doctors, spent even less time with patients compared to their senior counterparts. Additionally, female doctors reportedly spent more time on administrative tasks than male doctors, and the use of electronic health record systems correlated with increased paperwork time, suggesting that digital solutions currently in place may not be efficient or user-friendly.

This issue comes shortly after the UK government announced a comprehensive 10-year plan to reform the NHS, focusing on more community-based care, digital technology upgrades, and preventative health strategies. However, the TACT Study highlights that the underlying problem of excessive administrative burden on doctors remains largely unaddressed. Experts warn that non-clinical duties not only detract from patient interaction but may also contribute to delays, miscommunication, and even clinical errors, alongside worsening doctor burnout and staff retention problems.

The dissatisfaction with administrative load is clearly reflected in the survey responses from participating doctors—62% expressed moderate to high dissatisfaction with the volume of paperwork required. Patient-facing tasks were overwhelmingly preferred, underlining the disconnect between doctors’ professional goals and their daily work realities. The study strongly recommends immediate interventions, such as delegating administrative tasks to trained assistants, improving and standardising digital systems across NHS hospitals, and allocating more senior doctor time for mentoring juniors. These changes are hoped to restore more clinical time to doctors and improve overall care quality.

These findings align with earlier research indicating a long-standing and growing administrative burden within the NHS. Reports from 2013 and 2022 have shown that doctors and healthcare professionals have increasingly spent significant portions of their working weeks—up to a third or more—on clinical documentation and bureaucracy. A 2022 survey highlighted that consultant doctors averaged over 15 hours per week on such tasks, many of which extend beyond normal working hours, exacerbating strain on the workforce. Moreover, much of this paperwork is considered redundant or unrelated directly to patient care.

International comparisons suggest that reducing administrative demands can have tangible benefits. For example, Japan has implemented administrative reforms that have successfully freed up doctors’ time, improving healthcare delivery and professional satisfaction. The NHS study’s authors hope their data will inspire similar positive change in the UK.

The TACT Study, set for publication in the Quarterly Journal of Medicine, calls for urgent policy responses to alleviate the administrative overload crippling junior doctors and to safeguard the future of NHS medical training and patient care standards.

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Source: Noah Wire Services