Doctors say holding multiple roles makes them better medics

• More than half of UK doctors (52%) now have a 'portfolio career' – holding one or more roles outside of a clinical medical contract.
• Portfolio careers offer significant benefits that could help attract, retain and develop medics within the NHS, including giving doctors more diverse skills (51%), increasing job satisfaction (42%) and improving their mental health (23%).

A 'portfolio career' is where doctors hold one or more roles outside of a clinical medical contract, for example teaching, consultancy or research.

Doctors with portfolio careers say this way of working helps diversify their skills, improves job satisfaction and leads to better mental health, according to a new report from Wesleyan Financial Services, released today.

Of the 200 doctors surveyed by Wesleyan, just over half (52%) already have a portfolio career, while a third (33%) of those who do not would like a mix of medical jobs in the future. Over two thirds (68%) of medics with multiple roles would recommend it to other doctors.

While doctors cited challenges with holding multiple roles, including increased workload (55%) and the complexity of managing multiple positions (36%), they also reported significant benefits.

Half (51%) of those who currently hold multiple roles said they support diverse skills development, with a similar proportion (49%) of those who don’t have portfolio careers agreeing they can support professional progression and expertise.

More than two in five said holding multiple jobs brought them greater personal fulfilment (43%) or job satisfaction (42%), while nearly a quarter (23%) said it improved their mental health. More than three in five (62%) cited the financial benefits.

Alec Collie, Head of Medical at Wesleyan, said: "Having portfolio careers can be a win-win for both clinicians and patients.

"Holding multiple medical roles directly supports medics’ skills development and provide a raft of other advantages, from better mental health to greater job satisfaction. Ultimately, this can help create a stronger workforce and retain talent within the NHS.

"With this in mind, it will be important to help facilitate successful portfolio careers for those who want them. This will mean ensuring there’s support in areas like managing and minimising the associated admin so that doctors can continue to commit as much time as possible to what they do best - serving patients."

Wesleyan’s full report features perspectives from medics who attended a Wesleyan-hosted roundtable on portfolio careers.

Methodology 

This online survey of 200 UK doctors was commissioned by Wesleyan and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between the 13th - 20th September 2024.

All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.