A National Survey of ICU consultant working practices at weekends.
A questionnaire was sent to all Intensive Care Society linkmen to investigate weekend working arrangements on Intensive Care Units (ICU) in the United Kingdom. In all, 87 responses revealed that the average consultant covering ICU at weekends works a 1 in 6 rota, is responsible for 10 beds, works 8-9 h a day and receives two calls at night. Of consultants, 54% cover anaesthesia as well as ICU, 55% work a 48 h or 72 h weekend and only one in five consultants currently have fixed sessional allocation for weekend working. 83% felt that they should not cover anaesthesia as well as ICU and there was no support for consultants to be resident at night. Applying the terms and conditions of the new consultant contract for England to this average consultant would result in 6.6 Programmed Activities for the weekend and 2 days of compensatory rest.
Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, PL6 8DH, UK. elfyn.thomas@phnt.swest.nhs.uk
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Thomas
D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data