www.mddus.com SLEEP-DEPRIVED


CONSULTANTS POSE RISK SEVEN in 10 consultants never have rest time after a busy night on call, according to BMA figures. A survey of 847 consultants in England and Wales found that 71


per cent never have access to rest time following a night spent on call when their sleep had been disturbed, and a further 10 per cent said that such rest was rare. Almost nine in 10 consultants (88 per cent) reported being on an


on-call rota, with just under half called to attend hospital mid-week, rising to two-thirds at weekends. Anaesthetists and surgeons were most likely to be called to attend hospital, with average call-out times being three hours during the week and six hours at weekends. Dr Paul Flynn, chair of the BMA Consultant Committee said: “Sleep deprivation can impair judgement and decision making, skills that are vital for doctors. With workloads rising and moves to deliver more services out of hours, the government must make safe working a priority.”


EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE TO BE


PART OF MEDICAL TRAINING DOCTORS will be expected to show they have developed “emotional resilience” before completing specialty training. It is one of a number of “core professional values” identified by the


General Medical Council as being “essential to delivering safe and effective patient care.” The regulator has published a draft framework for consultation,


setting out the knowledge, skills and behaviour it thinks all doctors should know about, and which should be made part of specialty training. A number of new “generic professional capabilities” will be integrated


HIGHER FEES FOR


RCGP TRAINEES TRAINEE GPs will pay almost £600 more in membership fees, the Royal College of GPs has announced. This will be partly offset by a reduction in examination fees and


new tax breaks in a package of measures designed to “rebalance” costs and ensure “fairness and greater transparency”. The new pricing structure will have particular benefits for those studying part-time and those who have to sit the exam more than once as they had previously been unable to take advantage of some discounted rates. However, those who pass first time will pay more. From July 2015,


trainees completing the programme in three years will pay £595.43 more for associate in training (AiT) membership with the RCGP, while the costs of sitting the clinical skills assessment and applied knowledge test will drop by £409. The College also hopes trainees will take advantage of


arrangements that allow all tax paid on exam fees (around 40 per cent) to be reclaimed from HMRC via normal tax returns. For the majority of trainees, this could be worth around £500 to £600.


into learning programmes with the aim of developing a doctor’s “professional identity and preparing them for practice”. “The generic outcomes require the holistic development of the doctor


as a professional and are not simply achieved by ticking boxes for individual tasks or competences,” the report added. Royal colleges and faculties will be required to report to the GMC on


trainee doctors’ performances for each outcome to ensure they meet the required standards. The move to include emotional resilience in specialty training was


first touted last year after research showed 28 doctors had committed suicide while under GMC investigation between 2005 and 2013. Responding to the draft framework, former RCGP chair and medical


director of the Practitioner Health Programme Professor Clare Gerada told Pulse: “Resilience is a difficult area to study, there’s no single definition, there is no systematic trial and there are no outcome measures.”


She added: “[S]omething else needs to change and I would say it’s


the environment that they are working in.” The core values set out in the draft framework fall largely in line with


the GMC’s Good Medical Practice guidance. They include ensuring patient confidentiality, showing respect for others, and being able to learn and reflect on their professional practice. Others relate to practical and clinical abilities, as well as communication skills and basic principles of public health. The consultation runs until September 22 on the GMC website.


NEW GUIDANCE ON


DUTY OF CANDOUR DOCTORS should admit mistakes and apologise to patients, according to new duty of candour guidance from the General Medical Council. Patients should also expect a face-to-face explanation when things


go wrong. But the regulator made it clear that clinicians must have the support


of an “open and honest working environment where they are able to learn from mistakes and feel comfortable reporting incidents that have led to harm.”


Rules came into force in England at the end of last year placing a legal duty on hospital, community and mental health trusts to inform and apologise to patients where mistakes have led to significant harm. Now these new guidelines from the GMC place a professional obligation on individual doctors. GMC Chief Executive Niall Dickson said: “We recognise that things can and do go wrong sometimes. It is what doctors, nurses and midwives do afterwards that matters. “If they act in good faith, are open about what has happened and


offer an apology this can make a huge difference to the patient and those close to them.” Read the new guidance in full on the GMC website.


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