Patients at risk when junior doctors start work, admits NHS Medical Director
Industry News : 17 July 2012
Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, has admitted that patients in English hospitals are at risk during the first week of August when junior doctors start their new jobs.
For some time there have been concerns about the welfare of patients who are in hospital during this period, which has been described as a “killing season”. However, this is the first time that a senior NHS executive has publicly acknowledged the risk to patients.
A study conducted by the Dr Foster Unit at Imperial College in 2009 revealed that patients who are admitted to English hospitals on the first Wednesday in August have, on average, a six percent higher mortality rate than patients who had been admitted on the previous Wednesday.
Sir Bruce Keogh has outlined measures which will now be implemented in order to protect patients during the period in early August when junior doctors are starting their new roles. As soon as the NHS executives’ measures are implemented, first-year junior doctors will have to shadow a senior colleague for a minimum of four days before taking up their positions. A shadowing scheme is already in place in NHS hospitals, however this is currently unpaid and voluntary.