Meaningful patient engagement

Abstract

Holding a medical degree does not magically protect the individual from ever becoming unwell or needing medical help. However, for various reasons, most of which relate to personal, professional and institutional stigma, doctors are often denied the care they so readily provide to their own patients. The author has been running a ‘sick doctor’ service for 10 years and this article describes, from the practitioner-patient perspective, the barriers to care and what can be done to improve doctors' access to services.