25.06.12
Patient safety put at risk each August
Plans to improve patient safety during the transition when junior doctors start work each August could reduce the mistakes they make by 50%, trials suggest.
Each August, there is a 6% spike in death rates. New medics will now have to shadow their senior colleagues for a minimum of four days before starting work in an effort to counter this.
Trials in Bristol showed that mistakes made by new doctors in their first four months were reduced by over 50% after a week of mandatory shadowing and targeted teaching. The scheme will now be introduced nationally for this years’ trainees.
NHS medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh said: “There is some evidence of increased risk to patients as new doctors take their first steps. So, learning from pilots across the country, we've agreed that all new first-year doctors should undertake a period of paid shadowing at the end of July, starting this year.”
The Department of Health said in a statement: “Our aim is to ensure that all junior doctors spend a minimum of four working days shadowing the job that they will be taking up and completing trust-based induction.
“This will help them to become familiar with their new working environment and include a handover of their clinical responsibilities. Evidence from the pilots suggests that shadowing can reduce the number of serious adverse events.”
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