Doctors are being “pushed to the limit”, which could be putting patient safety at risk, the Medical Defence Union (MDU) has warned.

The MDU said doctors are making “high-stakes decisions” every day, but are doing so while “exhausted and demoralised”.

A new poll of 1100 doctors across England found that nearly half (48%) reported poor mental or physical health as a result of pressure, and 49% believed this was increasing their risk of making errors at work. One in 10 said a near miss had occurred, and 1% said a patient came to slight or moderate to severe harm as a result of their tiredness.

The survey also found that 85% of doctors had seen their stress levels increase, while 29% are considering leaving the profession because of workplace pressures. More than a third (37%) said they are regularly sleep deprived at work.

One consultant said: “We do 24-hour shifts on paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in the weekday and 48 hours at weekends. Most of that time there is no access to any on-call facilities. The trust provide us with a chair on the unit in front of patients to sleep on. We use the PICU toilet to brush our teeth on these 2-day shifts and there is no access to a shower.”

‘Wake Up Call’ for Ministers

Dr Udvitha Nandasoma, head of advisory services at the MDU, said: “Doctors are used to making high stakes decisions every day, but doing that under pressure, without enough sleep or support is not only draining for medical professionals but can have grave consequences for patient safety.

“It’s no surprise that many doctors tell us they are considering leaving the profession altogether, but we can’t afford to lose skilled and dedicated professionals in this way.

“This should act as a wake-up call to government and healthcare leaders to prioritise support for doctors, which will improve both retention of healthcare staff and patient safety.”

The MDU has called for NHS employers to ensure doctors have staff catering and rest facilities, including out of hours. It is also calling for more support for doctors and dentists at risk of burnout.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a broken NHS, with burnt-out and demoralised staff, but we are working at pace to turn the tide.

“We’ve already delivered above-inflation pay rises to health and care staff, and our 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places.

“We expect NHS organisations to ensure staff have the conditions they need to thrive, including well-being support, and our introduction of robust standards will improve staff experience and retention by tackling the issues that really matter to them.”