Doctors' Working Lives News
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Friday, April 20, 2007
Updates to the resource pages
On the Downloadable documents page you can now find comprehensive rebanding templates for each stage in MS Word format, thanks to Yasmin Ahmed-Little at NHS Northwest (as presented at the EWTD conference on Tuesday). The presentations from the conference can be found at the Healthcareworkforce site here.
On the Legislation page I've added a link to the NHS Employers page on junior doctors' terms and conditions, which includes the NHS Employers pay protection guidance document.
These pages should automatically display the new documents, but if you can't see them, just refresh the page to clear your browser cache.
On the Legislation page I've added a link to the NHS Employers page on junior doctors' terms and conditions, which includes the NHS Employers pay protection guidance document.
These pages should automatically display the new documents, but if you can't see them, just refresh the page to clear your browser cache.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Professor Shelley Heard resigns from MMC
Professor Shelley Heard has resigned as national clinical adviser to MMC. Her resignation letter of 4th April expressed her support for MMC itself, but said that the "high principles of MMC...have been lost in the detail and acrimony of a recruitment process which should have supported and not driven it". The letter also criticised the Review Group for becoming "so immersed in the detail that it cannot see a way ahead which will be both equitable to doctors and support the aims of MMC". (Times, BOTA)
Student advisor Alex Liakos has also resigned, describing the involvement of himself and other medical colleagues as "tokenistic" and the MMC implementation team as "a vehicle for spin". (MMC360)
Student advisor Alex Liakos has also resigned, describing the involvement of himself and other medical colleagues as "tokenistic" and the MMC implementation team as "a vehicle for spin". (MMC360)
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Hewitt apologises; Pounder calls for delay to EWTD; poor rotas "as bad as long hours" for fatigue
Patricia Hewitt has apologised for the "needless anxiety and distress" caused to junior doctors by the new application process, reports Channel 4. As part of an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning (click here for the listen again page), Hewitt stated that "The new system of MMC I think everybody supports but the actual implementation in this first year of transition was nowhere near what it should have been."
Dr Tom Dolphin, deputy chairman of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, said: "It’s long overdue, but at last the government is acknowledging the huge anxiety that this shambles of a system has created. However, an apology isn’t enough. We need a way out of this mess for the 32,000 junior doctors who currently don’t know if they have posts to go to in August. The solution that the government is currently proposing would mean over ten thousand applicants having interviews taken away from them. We do not believe this is acceptable, and hope that a better way forward can be found." The BMA today pledged help to all junior doctors who aren't appointed to jobs and will be releasing guidance in May.
In other news (yes, there is other news!), Professor Roy Pounder has called for a delay to further EWTD implementation until the increased safety risks for patients can be addressed (Medical News Today - download the full Eurohealth article here). He argues that as few as four member states have fully implemented the EWTD, and that the predominance of shiftwork is causing problems for patients. He also suggests that new types of rotas (such as the RCP 9-hour shift pattern) need to be considered.
Meanwhile, an article in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that simply increasing breaks and reducing hours isn't enough to reduce junior doctor fatigue - other factors are critical. Night shifts, unscheduled rostering changes and lack of supervision contribute greatly to fatigue. This links with Professor Pounder's remarks above, as it suggests that badly designed 48-hour rotas may be as risky (or possibly even more risky) than well-designed 56-hour rotas. The BMA's response calls for adequate rest to be factored into rotas, and for rest rooms to be retained.
MPs say NHS workforce planning has been "a disastrous failure" (BMJ)
Doctors advise on how to combine motherhood and medicine (BMJ Career Focus)
Can a doctor suffer a cut in basic pay when they change grade? (BMJ Career Focus)
MMC "threatens UK clinical research" (BMJ Letters page)
Sleep deprivation can cloud moral judgement, says study (BBC News, Sleep journal)
A doctor questions the value of training courses for doctors (BMJ)
The Medical Journal of Australia has a special supplement on the Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors
Australia holding a Fatigue Management for Doctors forum (Media Newswire)
The Archive of our past polls is also now available - you can find it under the monthly archives at the bottom of the left hand column.
Dr Tom Dolphin, deputy chairman of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, said: "It’s long overdue, but at last the government is acknowledging the huge anxiety that this shambles of a system has created. However, an apology isn’t enough. We need a way out of this mess for the 32,000 junior doctors who currently don’t know if they have posts to go to in August. The solution that the government is currently proposing would mean over ten thousand applicants having interviews taken away from them. We do not believe this is acceptable, and hope that a better way forward can be found." The BMA today pledged help to all junior doctors who aren't appointed to jobs and will be releasing guidance in May.
In other news (yes, there is other news!), Professor Roy Pounder has called for a delay to further EWTD implementation until the increased safety risks for patients can be addressed (Medical News Today - download the full Eurohealth article here). He argues that as few as four member states have fully implemented the EWTD, and that the predominance of shiftwork is causing problems for patients. He also suggests that new types of rotas (such as the RCP 9-hour shift pattern) need to be considered.
Meanwhile, an article in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that simply increasing breaks and reducing hours isn't enough to reduce junior doctor fatigue - other factors are critical. Night shifts, unscheduled rostering changes and lack of supervision contribute greatly to fatigue. This links with Professor Pounder's remarks above, as it suggests that badly designed 48-hour rotas may be as risky (or possibly even more risky) than well-designed 56-hour rotas. The BMA's response calls for adequate rest to be factored into rotas, and for rest rooms to be retained.
MPs say NHS workforce planning has been "a disastrous failure" (BMJ)
Doctors advise on how to combine motherhood and medicine (BMJ Career Focus)
Can a doctor suffer a cut in basic pay when they change grade? (BMJ Career Focus)
MMC "threatens UK clinical research" (BMJ Letters page)
Sleep deprivation can cloud moral judgement, says study (BBC News, Sleep journal)
A doctor questions the value of training courses for doctors (BMJ)
The Medical Journal of Australia has a special supplement on the Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors
Australia holding a Fatigue Management for Doctors forum (Media Newswire)
The Archive of our past polls is also now available - you can find it under the monthly archives at the bottom of the left hand column.
This site is maintained by Ellie Pattinson. All rights reserved. This website is maintained independently of the NHS and the views expressed are not necessarily a reflection of the views of that organisation. For any queries, contributions or amendments, please email me on admin@idwl.info.
