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

Letter

Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation

Pendulum is still swinging

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

EDITOR—The editorial by Murray et al on junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation shows just how far the pendulum of reduced hours for junior doctors continues to swing.1 How many of our nursing colleagues, who often work a stretch of seven nights, expect to go for a sleep for two hours during their shift while asking a senior colleague to cover? What other industry pays their workforce to sleep on their night shifts?

Although research on the adverse effects of shift patterns is very welcome, it does not justify special measures solely for the medical profession. It is also disappointing that no mention is made of the impact that reducing rosters to a single night shift would have on the numbers of senior house officers. This proposal results in one less junior doctor at each level every day of the week. What would the impact of this be . . . [Full text of this article]

Andrew Short, consultant paediatrician

Worcester Royal Infirmary, Worcester WR5 1HN andrew.short@worcsacute.wmids.nhs.uk


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Relevant Article

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

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