The toll of COVID-19 on healthcare workers has been brutal, with many wanting to call it quits.

The WHO says burnout, coupled with an ageing workforce, is a “ticking time bomb” that could lead to “poor health outcomes across the board, long waiting times for treatment, many preventable deaths and potentially even health system collapse”.

The RAGCP’s recently released annual survey reported that some three-quarters of GPs said they felt burnt out.

With burnout characterised in part by a depersonalisation or a sense of detachment, it can be tough to care for others. Compassion fatigue can set in.