‘tired. hungry and dehydrated’: Hospitals do not have enough doctors to keep patients safe, claims a report
- Seven in ten doctors work in hospitals that can’t fill their rota, it is claimed
- One in ten junior doctors often have to ‘act up’ to cover lack of consultants
- The number of vacancies increased by 60 per cent between 2013 and 2015
Ben Spencer Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail
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Hospitals no longer have enough doctors to keep patients safe, a major report claims today.
Seven in ten doctors work in hospitals that cannot fill their rota, according to the Royal College of Physicians.
The organisation found staffing gaps in hospitals around the country – with one in ten junior doctors regularly having to ‘act up’ to cover for a lack of consultants.
Hospitals no longer have enough doctors to keep patients safe, a major report claims today. Stock image
The report said: ‘A shortage of doctors in training, combined with growing workloads, means that there are no longer enough doctors to staff our hospitals safely.
‘Between 2013 and 2015, the number of doctor vacancies increased by 60 per cent. Seven out of ten doctors in training now report working on a rota with a permanent gap.
‘Over half of doctors in training report that rota gaps are having a serious or extremely serious impact on patient care.’
The report, based on polling of doctors across the country, said NHS staff ‘increasingly feel like collateral damage’ in the battle between rising demand and squeezed budgets, and argued the situation is ‘untenable’.
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Professor Jane Dacre, RCP president, said: ‘As a doctor, I realise that this is a tough diagnosis for the NHS.
‘However, a diagnosis is the first step towards working with colleagues to find solutions. We are keen to find the best treatment for the NHS over the coming weeks, months and years.’
A quarter of the doctors surveyed said their working pattern left them feeling short of sleep on a daily or weekly basis.
But the report said many are ‘actively discouraged from taking naps during night shifts’.
It added: ‘Three quarters of doctors in training go through at least one shift per month with insufficient hydration. Over one third do not drink enough water on seven shifts per month.
‘Over one quarter have worked four shifts per month without a meal, while over half have worked at least one shift per month without a meal.’
On average, doctors work an extra five weeks per year on top of their rostered hours, the report said.
The RCP urged the Government to increase NHS funding, or hold an honest debate with patients about what can and cannot be provided.
Seven in ten doctors work in hospitals that cannot fill their rota, according to the Royal College of Physicians. Stock image
Even with planned efficiency savings, the NHS faces a massive funding gap as it tries to tackle an ageing population, cuts to social care and growing demand, the report said.
It concluded: ‘The NHS needs a new plan – no more quick fixes or temporary solutions, but a plan designed to meet the UK’s health and care needs in the long term.’
Dr Mark Porter of the British Medical Association said: ‘It is clear the NHS cannot continue to do more with less.
‘Patient care is being compromised as hospitals are forced to close their doors due to staffing shortages, waiting times are rising and access to some services is increasingly limited.’
A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘Staffing is a priority … we have invested in the front line and there are already more than 24,000 extra clinical staff, including almost 8,800 more doctors and almost 11,300 more nurses, on our wards since May 2010.
‘With 50,000 nurses in training we will continue to make sure we have the staff available to give patients high quality care as part of a safer NHS seven days a week.’
The report was based on polls of 498 doctors across all grades.
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