I hadn’t come across the term “moral distress” until this week, when it was used by Dr Iain Kennedy, the chair of the Scottish BMA, during a discussion we were having about the state of the NHS.
It’s a fascinating if disturbing concept, and stems from the financial and institutional constraints that health workers operate within. Their inability to provide a level of care that they believe is reasonable can lead to them experiencing psychological unease, depression and even post-traumatic stress disorder.
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