Senin, 28 Mei 2012

Senior doctors told to be on duty to end annual NHS 'killing season' when medical graduates start work

Senior doctors told to be on duty to end annual NHS 'killing season' when medical graduates start work

  • Each year, the first Wednesday in August - dubbed 'Black Wednesday' - sees more than 6,000 newly qualified doctors start their careers in medicine
  • It coincides with 6% increase in death rates

By Graham Smith

PUBLISHED: 03:52 EST, 28 May 2012 | UPDATED: 04:53 EST, 28 May 2012


More consultants should be on duty to end the annual 'killing season' in the NHS when thousands of medical graduates start on hospital wards, a review of staff practices has warned.

Each year, the first Wednesday in August - dubbed 'Black Wednesday' - sees more than 6,000 newly qualified doctors start their careers in medicine.

But research has shown that their debut coincides with a 6 per cent increase in death rates and that it takes four months for this risk level to return to normal.

Call for action: More consultants should be on duty to end the annual 'killing season' in the NHS when thousands of medical graduates start on hospital wards

Call for action: More consultants should be on duty to end the annual 'killing season' in the NHS when thousands of medical graduates start on hospital wards

And now the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC), which represents the 20 medical institutions responsible for maintaining standards in the NHS, has called for action to be taken.

It wants rotas to be 'more flexibly and intelligently designed' so that experienced doctors are on call during August and September to give trainees a 'high-quality clinical induction', with a particular focus on patient safety.

The AMRC also wants a reduction in routine surgery to allow for this training to take place.

The proposals have been endorsed by Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, and her counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

And this August new doctors will for the first time spend four days shadowing the jobs which they are to move into.

Referring to the 6 per cent rise in death rates, Alastair Henderson, chief executive of the AMRC, said: 'The problem has been been known about for a long time, it is an increasing anxiety and it isn't acceptable.'

He told the Independent: 'There are practical complications with the changeover - if you are playing musical chairs everyone has to move or there won't be chairs to move to.

'But that doesn't mean there can't be a way of supervising and managing it safely. We are calling for better consultant cover to ensure there is absolutely proper supervision during this period.'

Mr Henderson said that the AMRC is also investigating the merits of staggering the changeover which affects 50,000 doctors in training each February and August.

He believes that delaying this changeover for more experienced doctors would 'greatly increase stability'.

NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh has admitted that the changeover 'puts patients at risk' and inexperienced doctors under great stress.

Mark Porter, chair of the British Medical Association's consultants committee, has backed the proposals for more consultant cover in August.

But he said NHS trusts must accommodate those who wanted to take holidays at that time.

He said there was 'disturbing evidence' that patients got a worse service during the junior doctor changeover in August but denied deaths were higher.

He said: 'We no longer get patients deteriorating because they are now on observation charts with mandatory checks which trigger automatic calls to the critical care o utreach team.'

 

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whatever you do - don't go into a nursing home - the staff are lazy and tend to send you to hospital as it permits them to be lazier still, with the result that the doctors advise that they will not treat the patient becouse he/she is not following the treatment advise becouse they keep coming back to hospital

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This story is very true and very frightening. It's not their fault though. It's the system. They are expected to go out and put everything they've learned into practice on day one and it's impossible. They should be stuck like glue to a more senior doctor for the first month of each placement, minimum and only allowed to work independently when they can prove that they are competent in that area.

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Anyone who has experienced the health care in any other country is horrified at the terrible care (or rather, total lack of care) offered by the NHS.

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Whatever you do, do not get seriously ill in late summer, or autumn when these little guys who have just qualified get unleashed on the unsuspecting public. A few years ago overheard on the bus - two rookie 'doctors' from the local hospital chatting - 'some old bloke came in with a heart attack. I hadn't a clue what to do...' (giggles)

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Frightening prospect, not just that we may end up seeing a wet behind the ear hopeful that thinks he or she knows what they are doing but add to this the fact that most Dr's have become "PILL DESPENSING" specialists, a pill for this a pill for that and have drifted so far from the days when a doctor actually knew and understood and actually cared for his/her patient. They all have so much pressure by the system to see and treat and move on that it becomes like an impersonal production line and we the patient suffer. Off course they will deny it, all covering their asses I’m afraid much like the rest of the working world in the UK hiding behind excuses like “the team” skilfully developed so no single individual has to take responsibility and be accountable…Sorry the computer says NO

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