THE impact of Covid on the NHS will be felt "long into the future", one of Scotland's top medics has warned.
Dr Lewis Morrison, chair of BMA Scotland, said there would be no "flick of a switch" return to normality, as a survey revealed that doctors are most worried about what effect the crisis will have on driving up future clinical demand.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of the 1,115 respondents said the long-term fallout from Covid was their main concern.
A quarter were also concerned about working arrangements going forward.
READ MORE: Pressure over elective and cancer care as Covid ICU admissions fall to new low
Elective surgery such as hip and knee replacements is on hold, and some cancer patients have also seen their operations or chemotherapy put on hold due to the danger of potential exposure to the virus.
Screening programmes have been paused, urgent cancer referrals are down more than 70%, and fears have been raised about the detrimental consequences of lockdown for physical and mental health among the most vulnerable groups.
Dr Morrison said: “While we have focused on the immediate challenges of the pandemic, and rightly so – many have expressed concern about the impact on those with other conditions and our ability to care for them.
“Firstly and once again I should emphasise our NHS is open, and if you have any concerns you should seek help.
“Equally, it is not realistic to expect the health service, or the people who work in it to flick a switch and return to normal. The impact of Covid-19 is clearly going to be felt long into future, both in terms of staff and services.
"As we look beyond this pandemic, there will need to be a carefully managed process of returning to more normal service. This will need to be done with the close involvement of representatives from across professions and balance clinical priorities, demand for care and the need to protect staff wellbeing."
The survey also found that 40% of Scotland's doctors are suffering from extra stress, anxiety, depression or burnout as a result of the pandemic.
There did appear to be improvements around provision of protective equipment, with 36% saying they felt fully protected against the virus at work - up from 14% in the BMA's previous poll.
However, 56% say they only feel partly protected, showing that concerns clearly remain.
Dr Morrison said: “Each and every death as a result of Covid is an incredibly sad event for so many families, and our sympathy and thoughts are with them.
“But each death, and the cumulative effect of so many deaths, also has a major impact on the teams caring for them in the community and in hospitals. I am in no way surprised that a quarter of doctors say their mental health is suffering, and that is clearly worrying."
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