Food for thought

Providing junior doctors with better access to nutritious food could help prevent burnout and protect patients, a survey claims. Three out of five medics told the study they were worried about putting patients at risk because of tiredness, night shifts and a lack of good food.

Almost 80% of junior doctors questioned said they had suffered burnout at work, with nearly two fifths identifying what was available to eat as a contributing factor. And almost a third said they were unable to get something nutritious during secondary care night shifts, according to the research by the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS).

The findings were reported on the website of Pulse, the magazine for UK GPs. Anaesthetist Dr Billy Wilson told the site: “Doctors’ responsibilities don’t change when they are working out of hours, so our need for food to eat and places to rest where we work don’t change either.”

Read more about the survey results