Staff shortages pose big threat to safety on wards, say medics
ONE doctor in five believes that patient safety is being compromised by staffing problems, a poll has found. An annual census of British doctors found that more than half of all consultants and two thirds of trainees reported frequent gaps in junior doctor rotas.
And 20 per cent said that shortages are causing significant problems for patient safety in hospitals.
Only two per cent said rota gaps have no impact on patient safety.
This is according to the census conducted by the Royal College of Physicians of London (RCP) on behalf of the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians.
The survey of more than 8,500 medics also found that consultants and trainees are working about 10 per cent more than their contracted hours.
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Sadly the census confirms our fears that the demands on doctors are increasingly untenable
Some 27 per cent of junior doctors said that, if they could turn back time, they would take a medical job outside the NHS.
31 per cent said they would seek a job outside medicine.
RCP president, Professor Dame Jane Dacre, said: “Sadly the census confirms our fears that the demands on doctors are increasingly untenable.”