No time to train the surgeons: Learning from the New Zealand experience

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7448.1134-a

BMJ 2004;328:1134 (8 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7448.1134-a

Letter

No time to train the surgeons

Learning from the New Zealand experience

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—In New Zealand in 1985 junior doctors' workinghours fell from an average of well over 80 hours a week to lessthan 58 hours a week within a year.¹ This helped satisfy concernsthat quality of care was adversely affected by fatigue causedby excessive hours. Several problems quickly became apparent,most of them similar to those outlined in the editorial by Chikweet al.²

For basic surgical trainees the impact of such reforms on trainingis demoralising. Many of the British hospitals I have workedat are planning to change their registrars and senior houseofficers to full shift, resident on-call rotas in August 2004to comply with the European Working Time Directive and New Deal.Instead of spending most operating lists with their consultantsand participating as part of a team in regular ward rounds andclinics, junior doctors will be moved to rotas.

In . . . [Full text of this article]

Lauren Ovens, senior house officer, cardiothoracic surgery

St Bartholomew's Hospital, London EC1A 7BE laurenovens@hotmail.com

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