NEWS DIGEST


Bullying a significant concern among


medical trainees


OVER one in 10 trainee doctors report being bullied in the workplace according to the 2013 annual national training survey conducted by the GMC. In the survey of 54,000 doctors in


training in the UK, 13.2 per cent of respondents said that they had been victims of bullying and harassment in their posts and 19.5 per cent had witnessed someone else being bullied. Over a quarter of respondents (26.5 per cent) also experienced “undermining behaviour” from a senior colleague with doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology most affected. Doctors in years four to seven of specialty training were more likely to report undermining than those in foundation or core training. In its report on the findings the GMC


reiterates that undermining or bullying behaviour is in total contradiction with its values regarding respect for colleagues as set out in Good Medical Practice. “It is more than a simple failure to comply. Serious or persistent failure to follow our guidance puts a doctor’s registration at risk.” The National training survey 2013 also


found that 2,746 survey respondents (5.2 per cent) raised a concern about patient safety. Doctors near the start of their training are much more likely to raise concerns than those in the later stages: 8.7 per cent in the first year of foundation training (F1) versus 2.8 per cent in year eight of specialty training (ST8).


Commenting on the results, Niall


Dickson, Chief Executive of the GMC, said: “These findings highlight the importance of listening to young doctors working on the frontline of clinical care. They support what Robert Francis said - that doctors in training are invaluable eyes and ears for what is happening at the frontline of patient care. “They also suggest that more needs to be done to support these doctors and to build the positive supportive culture that


● EU REFORM ON CROSS- BORDER CLINICIANS An alert system will be introduced across Europe requiring health regulators to warn each other within three days when a doctor or other health professional has been


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is so essential to patient safety. The best care is always given by professionals who are supported and encouraged.”


GPs “under pressure” for oral health advice


A SURVEY of over 1,000 GPs across the UK has found that 87 per cent believe that too many patients are turning to them for oral health advice instead of a dentist and this is putting unnecessary pressure on their practices. The poll was commissioned by the


Association of Dental Groups (ADG) to coincide with Mouth Cancer Action Month last November. It also revealed that 96 per cent of GPs think more should be done to encourage patients to go to their dentist rather than their GP for mouth-related health issues. The ADG believes dentists are best placed to spot oral problems – including mouth cancer. David Worskett, chair of the ADG,


said: “People often think that dentists focus purely on teeth and gums, but actually they are specialists in most aspects of oral health and we often find GPs refer patients back to their dentist if there is any treatment required.”


removed from a medical or dental register or had restrictions placed on his or her practice. The system is part of a new agreement made by EU ministers that doctors, nurses and other health professionals moving among EU


Radical reform needed in emergency care


A FUNDAMENTAL shift is needed in the provision of “urgent care” services in the NHS to reduce the strain on A&E centres, according to a first phase review published by the National Medical Director of NHS England. Sir Bruce Keogh says the current


system is under “intense, growing and unsustainable pressure” driven by rising demand from a population that is getting older and faced with a confusing and inconsistent array of services outside hospital. He advocates a system-wide transformation over the next three to five years. The report highlights that 40 per cent


of A&E patients are discharged requiring no treatment and that up to one million emergency admissions were avoidable last year, and up to 50 per cent of 999 calls could be managed at the scene. In the treatment of the UK’s two biggest killers – heart attacks and strokes – it has been demonstrated that survival rates are improved significantly by taking patients to specialist centres that provide the best available hospital care. The report makes proposals in five key


nations will have to meet new patient safety requirements. ● NEW TOOLKIT TO RELIEVE REGISTRAR WORKLOAD A new toolkit has been launched that aims to relieve the pressure on overworked medical registrars.


The Royal College of Physicians’ The medical registrar on call promises to help trainees improve their workload, training opportunities and supervision. Access at www. tinyurl.com/ ow3nzjt


SUMMONS


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