How working impacts the health of doctors
Doctors report high levels of stress and burnout, yet research suggests they experience lower rates of some stress-related chronic illnesses than the wider population. A new long-term study led by Birkbeck’s Dr Caroline Kamau-Mitchell aims to understand why and how improving wellbeing could help more doctors stay in the NHS.
The Longitudinal Survey of Wellbeing in Medicine (SWIMEDICINE) is one of the first long-term studies of its kind, tracking the health and wellbeing of doctors throughout their careers, with participants surveyed every two years.
A scientist with expertise in occupational health, Dr Caroline Kamau-Mitchell launched SWIMEDICINE in partnership with the Medical Schools Council, which represents all 51 UK medical schools, the study will investigate how workplace experiences influence doctors' health, wellbeing, and career progression. It will explore issues including sleep, stress, burnout and professional development.
Why is this research important?
This will be one of the first long-term studies to shed light on how workplace experiences affect doctors' mental and physical health and career outcomes.
Previous studies have often taken a snapshot of people's experiences at a single point in time. By following the same participants over many years, SWIMEDICINE can identify how workplace experiences influence future health and career outcomes, providing stronger evidence to inform policy and practice.
How is the research being conducted?
Participants are currently medical students, with practising doctors joining the study in its next phase. Participants join the project by completing an online survey. Responses are treated confidentially and anonymised for analysis, allowing participants to answer honestly.
Has your research had any findings yet?
Data collection is ongoing. As participants continue through medical school and into clinical practice, the research team will begin analysing trends in wellbeing, health and career development. Findings will be published on the SWIMEDICINE website and in various publications.
What do you hope the impact of the research will be?
The findings could reshape understanding of occupational health by providing one of the first long-term pictures of doctors' wellbeing across their careers. Interest in the project is already growing, with members of the SWIMEDICINE team featured on Channel 4 News in May 2026.
The researchers will work with the Medical Schools Council to implement new policy initiatives based on the results, which could inform policies designed to improve doctors' health, wellbeing and retention. The team will also work with the NHS, the UK Government and other stakeholders to develop policy interventions that could benefit doctors and workers in other professions.
“Although focused on medicine, the findings could also improve understanding of workplace wellbeing more broadly, helping employers and policymakers support healthier working lives across many professions.”
Project fact-file
- Full project title: The Longitudinal Survey of Wellbeing in Medicine (SWIMEDICINE)
- Project funding: Internally funded
- Dates of research: Launched in 2025 and is ongoing
- Lead researcher: Dr Caroline Kamau-Mitchell
Further Information
Find out more about the Business School event for NHS staff on 17 September 2026