WRAPPING up a busy morning

time to wind down and relax , I

For instance , I try to weave

the end of the day . I remem-

clinic , I frantically dash for the

have a sense of dread that I must

the enjoyment I used to get from

ber leaving the ‘ office ’ not to

Dr Rachel Lakemond GP in Brisbane , Queensland .

door without managing to finish my clinical work .

After a relatively calm five-minute commute , I face a hungry tod-

complete my work before midnight , and I worry where my life is heading .

The creeping tendrils of GP life

hobbies into everyday life rather than making any additional commitments .

I don ’ t remember it always

think of it again until I walked in for my next shift .

At some point , the boundary between work and home

dler , an impending school run and

into my home life have taken all

being this way .

life became grey , a little fuzzy

The creeping tendrils into my home life have been slow and insidious .

the long sprint until bedtime .

Hopefully , by 9pm , I can finally log in remotely and complete what I couldn ’ t when the patient was with me . But even when I get the

my leftover time and attention .

I have been forced to prioritise and re-evaluate the truly important relationships and make the cut on the rest .

I remember running a little late to complete my notes with the patient there . I remember the camaraderie of chatting with my colleagues as we all left together at

and then badly blurred . The invasion into our minds and homes has happened slowly and insidiously . It has crept up to

become a normal part of clinical life .

The culprit ? Is there a single

reason — or many ?

Do patients ’ needs simply

transcend the 15 minutes

Write-off here and ideally three lines if possible please , thankyou Obitius molupienime quat im num nume sust , simus doluptas

they ’ re each allotted ?

Is it the work email and WhatsApp group conveniently located on my phone that are stopping me from relaxing in my downtime ? Is it the easy remote

access to work systems that

allows me to open a portal

between my work desk and

my cosy spot on the sofa ? Or

is it more complex than that ?

When I look around and

compare my workload with

other GPs , I see red flags .

It seems my younger colleagues

have accepted you

can never completely leave

work when you walk out of

the door .

We are expected to be

readily contactable in a

casual or formal manner by

our practice , colleagues and

even patients at times .

We are now accustomed

to finishing up our work at

home . And although I ’ m

weary of the intrusion , it

can be a blessing in disguise

when I must leave ‘ on time ’ to

pick up my children .

I suspect a large part of

the issue is that we are simply

responding to the changing

expectations of society , coupled

with the ubiquitous use

of new technology , which has

Pull Quote here Si odi totatiatem faccusa erovid magnimus , sitatum asitiis eariatio es qui cuptiorDolupid quam , sunt . Nis ne as recto et facia qui ut quiam , quis ma nullorest inctum ligendaerum

superpower ?

Or could it be a by-product

of training in a black-andwhite

time that makes them

somehow more immune .

I think what we are experiencing

is an inflection point

in the modernisation of general

practice . It is evolving to

meet patients ’ and communities

’ needs — which , in turn ,

is changing our expectations

of ourselves .

But if this is the case , it

is unsustainable , and it ’ s

time for us , as a specialty , to

re-evaluate what ’ s expected

of the GP role .