Queensland Health survey: nearly half of doctors at risk of burnout

A Queensland Health wellbeing survey has found almost half of responding doctors are at risk of burnout, adding weight to concerns long voiced by clinicians about relentless demand, rostering pressure and the cumulative impact of high-stakes decision-making in busy hospital environments.

More than 2,000 doctors responded to the Medical Workforce Wellbeing Survey, which assessed wellbeing across the state.

While burnout is a complex concept - influenced by workload, support, autonomy and workplace culture - the headline result signals a system under strain, particularly as hospitals juggle emergency department surges, staff shortages in some specialties and the downstream effects of delayed care.

The implications are practical as well as personal. Burnout correlates with higher turnover, increased sick leave and difficulty retaining experienced clinicians - and that in turn can affect continuity of care, training, and the pressure on remaining staff.

Clinicians and health leaders typically point to a mix of solutions: safer staffing ratios, protected time for teaching and supervision, better access to psychological support, and changes to administrative burden that keep doctors away from patient care.

For Queenslanders, the message is clear: the health system's performance depends heavily on the people inside it. If a significant share of doctors are approaching exhaustion, stabilising the workforce becomes not just a staff wellbeing priority - but a core patient safety and service delivery issue.