17
Jul 2018
Exhausted doctors putting patients at risk
Experts have warned that patients could be put at risk by trainee doctors who are exhausted before they even start work.
A poll found that a third reported to be tired before starting work and another quarter say their work makes them feel ‘burnt out’.
Half of all trainee doctors regularly work longer hours than they are contracted to do.
The poll of 70,000 doctors was carried out by the General Medical Council, and the union said that it illustrates the challenges of frontline medical practice, with long and intense working hours and heavy workloads.
These findings are on the back of recent claims by experts that doctors who work longer hours are much more likely to make mistakes when treating patients.
The GMC’s chief executive Charlie Massey, said “Doctors are working in highly pressured environments and they are telling us that as a result they are struggling to find time for essential training.
“This is a major concern for us. Training must be protected and it must be safe, and employers need to address this urgently.
“But it is also important that the wider issues reported in our surveys, around work-life balance, burn-out and exhaustion, are acted on.
“We can put off no longer the need to give doctors in training – who make up a fifth of all doctors – the resources they need and deserve.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence compensation claims, and have obtained substantial compensation for our clients. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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