GPs can now use a free mobile and desktop tool, ‘GP Diary’, to track workload and reduce overwork.
BMA members can sign up for free to add contracted hours and sessions, log workload and create reports that they can share with employers to make decisions about admin and clinical work.
“It gives me a detailed breakdown of my work activities so it allows me to understand why I might be working over my contracted hours, and areas of my work where I may have to make adjustments,” Dr Mark Steggles, chair of the Sessional GPs Committee, said. “We know all GPs are working ridiculous amounts over their contracted hours. Hopefully this tool will allow us to analyse what we’re actually doing day to day.”
The tool arrives just as the BMA opens its ballot to partners on ‘collective action’ from 1 August.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “We’ve all had conversations with patients who’ve been struggling with their mental and physical health, or families and relationships, where the cause is obviously excess workload. And sometimes, our advice even goes as far as recommending they take time off work.
“None of us are immune from burnout, and this new tool from the BMA could go a long way to improving work life balance for GPs, and also go a long way to reducing the need for us to take extended periods of sick leave for stress and exhaustion, which then has a domino-effect on our colleagues.
“The first step to being able to tackle and prevent burnout is to actually have an objective measure of what we’re doing, and this tool is a great step in that direction.”
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