C. Dumelow et al., Relation between a career and family life for English hospital consultants: qualitative, semistructured interview study, BR MED J, 320(7247), 2000, pp. 1437-1440
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Objective To explore the relation between work and family life among hospit
al consultants and their attitude towards the choices and constraints that
influence this relation.
Design Qualitative study of consultants' experiences and views based on tap
e recorded semistructured interviews.
Setting Former South Thames health region in southeast England.
Participants 202 male and female NHS hospital consultants aged between 40 t
o 50 years representing all hospital medical specialties.
Results Three types of relation between work and family life (career domina
nt, segregated, and accommodating) were identified among hospital consultan
ts. Most consultants had a segregated relation, although female consultants
were more likely than male consultants to have a career dominant or an acc
ommodating relation. Many male consultants and some female consultants expr
essed considerable dissatisfaction with the balance between their career an
d family life. A factor influencing this dissatisfaction was the perceived
lack of choice to spend time on their personal or family life, because of t
he working practices and attitudes within hospital culture, if they wanted
a successful career.
Conclusions Consultants are currently fitting in with the profession rather
than the profession adapting to enable doctors to have fulfilling professi
onal and personal lives. Current government policies to increase the medica
l workforce and promote family friendly policies in the NHS ought to take a
ccount of the need for a fundamental change in hospital culture to enable d
octors to be more involved in their personal or family life without detrime
nt to their career progress.