Patients Put At Risk By Doctors Who Feel Exhausted Before They Start Their Shifts, Experts Warn

A General Medical Council poll found a quarter of trainees feel burned out and one in three is drained at the start of work

PATIENTS are being put at risk by doctors who feel exhausted before they even start their shifts, a study warns.

A General Medical Council poll found a quarter of trainees feel burned out and one in three is drained at the start of work.


Patients are being 'put at risk' by doctors who are exhausted before their shift even starts

Many are working so long beyond scheduled hours they do not have time to complete studies and training.

The survey of 70,000 trainee doctors and trainers comes as two in three hospitals have too few staff to cover shifts.

Half of trainees regularly work beyond rostered hours and one in five said they feel short of sleep while at work.

Forty per cent described the intensity of work as “heavy or very heavy”.


The survey of 70,000 trainee doctors and trainers comes as two in three hospitals have too few staff to cover shifts
Trainers also reported heavy workloads, with a third saying it was hard to find the time to fulfil educational roles. Charlie Massey, of the GMC, said: “This is a major concern.”

Rachel Power, of the Patients Association, said: “Patients will be concerned by these findings. Tired doctors make more mistakes.”

The Department of Health said: “We recently announced measures to help staff improve their work-life balance, and the biggest ever increase in training places for doctors.”

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