Car Crash Danger for Tired Doctors ; Exhausted Medics Twice As Likely to Have Accident Driving Home

DOCTORS’ leaders have called for action after a study showed the dangers faced by medics driving home after a long shift.

Research by Harvard Medical School found that junior doctors who had worked 24 consecutive hours or more were twice as likely to have a crash than when they worked shorter shifts.

The British Medical Association Scotland said last night that the finding supported its view that excessive working hours endangered both doctors and patients.

It called on health boards to provide overtired junior doctors with either a lift home or a bed for the night.

The yearlong study found that more than 40 per cent of doctors’ crashes happened on the drive home.

It reported a total of 320 accidents, including 133 serious smashes. After a long shift, doctors were also five timesmorelikely to have a near-miss.

Dr Chris McCullough, joint chairman-of the Scottish Junior Doctors Committee, said: ‘This is an issue the NHS must take seriously.

‘Providing rooms to give doctors an opportunity to sleep after a shift, or transport home for those who feel unsafe to drive, are only two possible options to reduce the risk.’ He said doctors were the only group of NHS workers who continued to work such long hours.

MSPs have highlighted the problem of EU rules which compel health boards to regard doctors who sleep on NHS premises as being at work.

Tory MSP David Davidson said this prevented boards from providing rest rooms for tired doctors.

He added: ‘This is just a nonsense.

Providing a rest room will not only ensure the safety of the doctor but also that of patients.’ Nationalist MSP Shona Robison supported the BMA’s ‘reasonable’ demands. She added: ‘Doctors are concerned about the impact of tiredness.’ Scotland’s junior doctors are limited to working 56 hours per week under EU rules and the Executive’s New Deal. However, on-call commitments can raise this to 72 hours.

A Scottish Executive spokesman said it was up to NHS boards to provide transport for staff after long shifts.