When the brother of a Watford businessman took his own life in 2018, it raised the question, ‘If doctors take care of their patients, who is taking care of the doctors?’
After the passing of Dr Jagdip Sidhu, his brother Amandip founded Doctors in Distress to raise awareness of the challenges faced by doctors and promote workplaces that are more compassionate and supportive.
Amandip said Jagdip outwardly had “everything one would aspire to”, but was overwhelmed by the demands of the workplace.
He continued: “Jagdip didn’t tell anyone because he was afraid of letting his patients and colleagues down. The system he worked so hard and cared for didn’t look after him.
“You would think health professionals would be less vulnerable because of their training, but they are among the worst affected professions by suicide.”
When Jagdip suddenly announced that he had been signed off work with stress, Amandip worried that his brother misinterpreted this as a punitive measure threatening his 25-year job.
Amandip said: “He couldn’t get any perspective on what had happened or see that he wasn’t to blame. We’re all human at the end of the day, but doctors seem to think they have to be more than that.”
Several days later, Jagdip sent an email to Amandip asking him to help put his affairs in order. Jagdip’s body was found later the same day.
Amandip was determined no one else be put in a similar position and contacted Dame Clare Gerada, an advocate for doctors’ health.
He invited Clare to help steer Doctors in Distress in its mission to create change within the NHS, and she subsequently became chair of the trustees’ board.
For more information, please visit doctors-in-distress.org.uk
Photo credit: NHS
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