Dr Rob Hendry, MPS Medical Director, says junior doctors need more support from senior staff during their first days in the job

As if your first day as a junior doctor isn’t daunting enough, there’s also the small matter of national news coverage and the association of costly errors and negative statistics – unhelpfully dubbed “Black Wednesday” by the media – to deal with. Every year thousands of junior doctors are subjected to this intense scrutiny, and it’s not getting any easier…  

As is the case with many hospitals, the day junior doctors land on the wards often coincides with the change-over of Registrars and SHO training days. Furthermore, each year has seen cut backs on the number of foundation doctors, leaving many wards understaffed. So, with the wards overstretched and reliant on inexperienced staff it’s no wonder junior doctors struggle with the demands placed on them.

And perhaps these difficult conditions set the precedent for the year to come; an MPS survey carried out last month revealed that 82% of FY1s had struggled with long hours, an increase of 7% from last year. A further 69% did not have regular meal times and 66% did not get enough sleep. Tellingly, when asked what changes would increase job satisfaction, 40% thought more doctors was most important and 18% believed decreased workloads would help. Despite these admissions, 74% enjoyed their time as FY1s.

With the wards overstretched and reliant on inexperienced staff it’s no wonder junior doctors struggle with the demands placed on them

Although it is encouraging to see that most maintain a strong enthusiasm for their chosen career path, these figures also point to a stretched work force and a lack of support for junior doctors.

A failure to provide encouragement and support at this early stage could result in some very bad habits developing, such as poor communication, corner cutting and low morale amongst staff which could potentially result in a lack of empathy towards their patients. It’s this type of environment where medicolegal issues will arise on a regular basis.    

One thing we can do to improve the prospect of life in the NHS for junior doctors – particularly on their first few days in the job – is ensure that senior clinicians and management are available for support. This could turn a daunting prospect into a real confidence boost for their young counterparts, allowing them to start on the front foot and exhibit a sense of assuredness to their patients. This responsibility rests with NHS managers, who have the power to provide appropriate resourcing and support on the wards which can improve quality of care and learning experiences for trainee doctors.        

As always, you can turn to MPS if you need professional support or advice; we’re here for you as you just start out in your career right the way through to retirement and beyond…