Sick of NHS

[Bumblebeehee]

I have worked clinically in the NHS for over 15 years and I have just come back from a lovely maternity leave to be realise how much I hate working here. I have had periods of dislike for it before I went on mat leave but I am well and truly done now.
I have some great colleagues but there is also groups of people who just want to make your working career more and more difficult just to tick boxes. Lots of blame culture a people, they are quick to throw anyone under the bus to sort themselves out and there is often not really much compassion towards patients deep down. It’s mostly just full of people covering themselves so they don’t get sued.
I’m have worked myself quite high up now and I am just sick of the politics.
Before anyone asks, nothing in particular has happened at work, it’s just a collection of things I observe day to day and what I have to keep tight lipped about and put up with.

I have never worked any where but the NHS so I feel completely institutionalised, no idea where I can use all my skills and qualifications elsewhere.
i don’t want to set up a private practice, I am
doje clinically.

Has anyone experienced this? Where did you go?
I am sure I am not alone here….

I’m not NHS but worked in a comparable system several decades. Also worked over in NHS for a number of years when younger and still keep up with some people so have seen the evolutions so to speak.

I left frontline clinical work as I’d aged out personally. Too hard to keep up the hours and job at a point and so ‘retired’ but still work full time, but now only 50 odd hours a week, so quite a luxury😁. There’s heaps of work out there. Given why you want to leave, I’d say administrative management arm is out🤣. There used to be quite a bit with insurance companies but the majority of that dried up a few decades ago but still some work; some medico legal companies have enough work to take people on to do initial sift, and then involvement as required (they go out to relevant engaged specialties but there is still work to do); pharma companies are always looking for people as in house advisers/KOL educators; there’s often work in government departments; depending on your area there is opportunity re colleges, working parties for the guidelines, working parties for other stuff. Lots of work.

So are you based in the UK? Thank you but I don’t think you can compare careers in different countries as to what is availabke in thr job market. Totally different climates.
and “Only 50 odd hours per week” that’s a lot of over time here. Not what I’m after.

I have worked in the NHS for a similar amount of time and I am also on the verge of leaving my profession entirely. I also have great colleagues, but the cuts in services are just unbearable and everyone is completely run to the ground. I am a specialist band 7 so I'm reluctant to give up the pay and flexibility, not to mention my Blue light card which I use for everything! But my sanity is taking a beating and I can't do it any more. I've decided I can't work elsewhere in the NHS as it'll be just the same everywhere else. and I love seeing the patients, so I will likely look for a private practice if I go.
A friend went on to be a disability advisor for a university. It depends on your skill set I guess. I have both management and clinical skills so I've been looking at ops management, admin management, university lecturing, project lead type stuff, and I've considered re training. I also looked at a basic admin job at my kids school! Bit of a pay cut though.
What do you enjoy about your job? I'd think of the bits you like, and try to follow a career path that nurtures those things. I love running groups so I thought about becoming a gym / pilates instructor or something. Again, feasibility is a problem.
I have also conspired with other colleagues to all leave together and open a private practice together 😂 but I don't think it's going to happen unfortunately. Bit of a pipe dream!

So are you based in the UK? Thank you but I don’t think you can compare careers in different countries as to what is availabke in thr job market. Totally different climates. and “Only 50 odd hours per week” that’s a lot of over time here. Not what I’m after

No, I’m not but I don’t believe you are right either. As I said I worked in NHS for a number of years, made many friends I have kept in touch with, some of whom are/were in the same position as myself in needing to jump from frontline due to age and it seems they have had very similar experiences and options to what exists here, with everyone who wants to successfully transitioning.

As for over 50 hours being a lot of time, it’s hard to imagine what hospital based frontline role/specialty you would be where 50yrs/week means ‘that’s a lot of time over here’. Everyone I keep in touch with who is still working either frontline or moved to administration (😈😈😈) is still pulling significantly over that, so while appreciating it’s not what you are after, it seems an odd comment.

I totally agree with you here. I also thought of changing Trusts but then I realised it’s probably same s*, different place so I’ll end up in the same situation a few months later. Better the devil you know at the moment.

I also thought of management but outside of the NHS, don’t want middle management job in the NHS. I never dreamt of that as a kid!! lol

Tricky, what do I like about my job? Good question and a hard one. I suppose I like the improvement of services and finding more efficient ways of doing things. I like being at the top of my trade, being the go to person who knows a lot about my speciality. However.i actually wrote a long list of what I hate so I guess it was a good reflection for me that I hate more than I like things. I used to think it was my good colleagues who were keeping me there, and the interesting nature of some diseases and how we manage them but now I am beginning to feel less so as people inevitably move on..

so I hate a lot….

I’d only move for more money so nothing under £65k is worth it for me. I thought about moving into law to do some Medico legal work, I even got into law school which I delayed, then got pregnant.
Now I don’t have the mental capacity to retrain. Also a friend of mine has put me off the idea of it as I don’t think it’s a good work life balance.

I was looking at some roles in the airline industry which do appeal but have zero experience so again would have to work from bottom which would be a pay cut to start with..

I really don’t know!!