‘Sleeping is not part of your job description’: Doctors warned against naps

Junior doctors astatine the Manning Base Hospital volition beryllium issued an apology aft being told not to slumber connected overnight shifts, with a mattress and linen removed from their interruption room.

Doctors were told to assistance different departments connected quiescent nights successful an email sent to inferior aesculapian officers connected Wednesday by the Taree Medical Administration.

“Sleeping is not portion of your occupation description. If you find that you person nary further duties to be to the anticipation is that you either be the Emergency Department to assistance them oregon interaction the overnight SRMO [Senior Resident Medical Officer] and assistance them connected the wards,” the email read.

Manning Base Hospital Administration said it would apologise to inferior doctors aft being contacted by the Australian Medical Association NSW. Credit: Alamy

“The mattress and soiled linen person been removed and this country volition beryllium monitored by security, if bedding is recovered to beryllium returned to this country further enactment volition beryllium taken.”

But aft being contacted by the Australian Medical Association NSW, a Hunter New England Health spokesperson said the infirmary would apologise to staff.

“All unit are encouraged to usage the designated remainder areas to instrumentality meal, remainder oregon slumber breaks arsenic required portion ensuring diligent attraction is simply a priority,” the spokesperson said.

“Manning Hospital has designated remainder areas disposable and does not discourage unit members
seeking remainder safely and appropriately ... the information and wellbeing of each unit is of captious importance.”

AMA NSW Doctors-In-Training Chair Dr Sanjay Hettige said it was captious that Doctors-In-Training were supported to supply the champion imaginable diligent care.

“AMA (NSW) sought a committedness from the infirmary that it volition enactment Doctors-In-Training to negociate fatigue, including supporting remainder breaks arsenic due and providing cleanable and harmless facilities for DITs to rest,” helium said.

“[The] infirmary has advised that an apology volition beryllium issued and that the connection that was sent retired did not accurately bespeak Manning Hospital’s committedness nor arrangements for a harmless and supportive enactment culture.”

Loading

One elder aesculapian officer, who spoke connected the information of anonymity for fearfulness of reprisals, said the email had caused interest among the unit of each levels and had been escalated internally.

“It’s radical who don’t enactment after-hours having opinions connected radical who do,” they said. Night shifts scope betwixt 10 and 12 hours.

The doc said it was an unfortunate incidental coming aft the infirmary had antecedently made advancements successful staffing and overtime issues.

Most Viewed successful National

Loading