Doctors’ working hours pose risk to patients

Patients’ safety and wellbeing could be at risk because the working patterns of doctors in training are leaving them too tired and stressed. These are the worrying findings of a recent study commissioned by the General Medical Council (GMC).

Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the GMC, explained that some doctors may still be working nearly 100 hours a week during their busiest shifts, which leads to an increased risk of mistakes and medical negligence.

Working hours study

The research was carried out to gain a greater understanding of the impact of the Working Time Regulations, which are intended to promote health and safety by restricting the hours that doctors work.

It found that while the regulations had led to fewer hours, it had also produced more shift work, leaving some doctors suffering fatigue and acknowledging that there were times when they performed poorly.

Inadequate supervision of junior doctors

As well as raising concerns over the impact of doctors’ hours on patient safety, the study also builds on evidence that too many doctors in training are being left to provide care and treatment without adequate supervision from senior colleagues, claims the GMC.

It has recommended that hospitals should improve access to consultants as a matter of urgency, to ensure there is sufficient cover during anti-social hours.

A spokesperson for Health Education England welcomed the report, saying that it highlights both the importance of sharing best practice across the NHS and of utilising the flexibilities available.

“The experiences of some of the doctors quoted in the report leave no room for complacency as the quality of their education and training affects the quality of care of patients in the future,” the spokesperson commented.

Medical negligence

Anything that could potentially have a negative impact on a doctor’s ability to treat patients safely and effectively must be a cause for concern.

All too often there are reports in the media of cases where patients have suffered harm as a result of negligence by medical staff.

Patient dies after surgical error

One example is a recent Telegraph report on the case of a 42-year-old woman who bled to death after a routine back operation.

Andrea Green died after a surgeon in Barnsley District Hospital operated on the wrong disc in her spine and caused an artery to rupture. The mistake was not detected, even when her condition deteriorated after she was returned to the recovery room. Ms Green eventually died from internal bleeding, but her life could have been saved up until 30 minutes before her death if medical staff had identified that there was a problem and taken the appropriate action.

According to the Telegraph, Ms Green’s family received an out of court settlement after lodging a medical negligence claim.

Doctor’s failings lead to girl’s death

In another recently reported case, a three-year-old girl from Derbyshire died of dehydration after a doctor failed to carry out basic tests to assess her condition.

The Daily Mail reports that Mylee Ward’s parents had become concerned after their daughter had been sick and was unable to drink or eat for three days. They took her Chesterfield Royal Hospital, where a locum doctor failed to carry out urine and blood tests to check for dehydration, and instead sent Mylee back home with antibiotics. She died at home 36 hours later.

At an inquest into her death, the coroner ruled that she had died of dehydration contributed to by neglect, reports the Daily Mail.