What happens when the admin meant to support doctors starts taking them away from the work they trained to do?
In this episode, Fanny and I have an honest conversation about the growing burden of administration in medicine, from paperwork and mandatory training to appraisals, inboxes, checklists, and endless tick-box exercises.
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We explore the difference between admin that genuinely protects patients and processes that primarily serve organisational governance. We also discuss how layers of bureaucracy can build frustration and resentment over time, why doctors often feel unable to push back, and how constantly taking on extra work can blur the boundaries between professional and personal life.
The conversation also challenges the idea that doctors simply need to "manage their time better." Sometimes the problem isn't time management at all. It's recognising what is actually your responsibility, what belongs to the organisation, and where you need to set boundaries.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• What admin is actually supposed to do for doctors
• Why some administrative processes genuinely improve patient safety
• How pointless admin can contribute to frustration, resentment, and burnout
• Why doctors shouldn't automatically blame themselves for being overwhelmed
• How bureaucracy can take doctors away from the work they trained to do
• Why boundaries around emails, WhatsApp groups, and unpaid admin matter
• How cutting admin staff can push more work onto clinical staff
• Why doctors need to distinguish their responsibilities from organisational problems
• How pushing back can force organisations to address inefficient systems
• Why being intentional with your time can help you regain control
⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 What actually is admin?
02:24 What admin is supposed to do for doctors
03:59 Why doctors hate pointless admin
06:34 How tick-box exercises affect doctors
09:09 Why completing admin can feel satisfying
10:55 When admin creates frustration and resentment
13:33 The admin that genuinely protects patients
15:06 Why doctors question the value of appraisals
16:05 Is there enough evidence behind NHS admin?
17:19 Why admin won't necessarily prevent another Harold Shipman
18:09 Why organisations rarely remove things that don't work
20:57 Why something should be taken away when something new is introduced
21:58 Why admin frustrates doctors more than medicine itself
23:26 Learned helplessness and burnout
23:48 Are doctors taking on too much themselves?
23:57 The problem with blurred work-life boundaries
25:48 What happens when you're always on the back foot
27:55 Why cutting admin staff creates more work for doctors
28:50 Learning to push back
29:32 Being intentional with the time you give to work
31:00 Human beings vs human doings
31:29 Regaining your internal locus of control
32:03 Why boundaries matter
33:18 Why it's okay to say no
33:34 Could AI and outsourcing solve some admin?
34:41 The big takeaway: pause and make a conscious decision
35:20 Reframing organisational responsibility
36:17 Final thoughts
Connect with Jamie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiegross-medicsincontrol
Connect with Fanny
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fannysnaith/
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About Medics in Control:
Medics in Control is the podcast for doctors who want more control over their time, money, and direction without leaving medicine.
Hosted by NHS consultant Dr Jamie Gross and certified money coach Fanny Snaith, each episode explores the challenges many doctors face but rarely discuss openly, helping you create more clarity, agency, and options in both your career and life.
