Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation: No easy solution exists

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7515.514-a

BMJ 2005;331:514 (3 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7515.514-a

Letter

Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation

No easy solution exists

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

EDITOR—We found the article by Murray et al and the responsesinteresting.^1
2 The impact of the new shifts is strongest ontraining, continuity of patient care, and the safety of doctorsand patients. In a six month post, three weeks of night shifts(with almost no training) are followed by three weeks off byway of compensation. This means a 1.5 month (25%) loss of trainingin every six month period.

Solutions can be tricky, statistical, and complex. A singlenight shift pattern may not help training or continuity of patientcare at all. If you do a night on call you are away from daytime work for two consecutive days. If you add all the nightsyou do in a six month period you lose substantial daytime work(for three weeks of nights in total over a six month period,a period of nearly five to . . . [Full text of this article]

Sashidhar Yeluri, senior house officer, basic surgical training scheme

Harrogate District Hospital, Harrogate HG2 7SA sashi_yeluri@yahoo.com

Guneesh Dadayal, foundation year 1 trainee

Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield WF1 4EE

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Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation: Alice Murray, Roy Pounder, Hugh Mather, and Carol Black
BMJ 2005 330: 1404. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]