I imagine we do roughly the same as everyone else by sharing out administrative
tasks as equally as possible between partners and then assuming that everyone
has an equal task to cope with. From time to time we have arguments about who is
taking more time out of surgery to go to committees meetings etc.
Surely this is not because we are burnt out but because we've got too much to
do. There is no good management system that will solve this problem - if it
takes more time than available to do a job then either one doesn't do it (all)
or spends more time on it. I suspect in most practices there is the odd
(sensible?) partner who doesn't do it and others who can't say no or who feel
that it is their responsibility to keep everything going who do - and feel
resentful thus contributing to their own burn out.
We feel the same if someone is ill and we have to do more - it's just
unreasonable to express it if someone is ill.
The only part-solution we have come up with is to build some slack into our
routine so that we can cope with extra burdens such as meetings/illnesses when
they come along. It is so long since we had a non-hectic timetable that this
feels quite sinful.
However this does seem to me to be the real solution to burn out - don't do more
than you can manage (then we won't need more and more creative and/or expensive
leisure solutions to the problem).
Sue Butler
GP and Course Organsier, Pontefract, West Yorkshire
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