Tired doctors a risk to patients
SLEEP-DEPRIVED junior doctors may be endangering their patients, a new report said yesterday.
The dangers of irregular shift-work on the health of junior doctors and their patients has been highlighted by the British Medical Association Scotland.
The report, Shift-work, Rest and Sleep: Minimising the Risks, calls for more rest breaks during night shifts and safer rotas for staff.
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Hide AdCompliance with the European Working Time Directive has resulted in a move away from 24-hour on-call shift patterns to a more regimented rota, the report said.
However this has also led to "considerable fatigue in the doctors who work those rotas".