Doctors should be tested for alcohol and drugs
Doctors should be tested for alcohol and drugs Kay Brennan University
of Westminster, London Medical students have voted to recommend
that doctors and other health professionals should be subject to
random alcohol and drug testing at work.
The medical students, attending a conference of the BMA's Medical
Student Committee (MSC), strongly believed that those who deliver
direct patient care should not be exempt from spot checks for alcohol
and drugs, which are routine for many other occupations including
the police force and airline pilots.
"Patients'
safety could be at risk" say UK students (JANE HENLEY/ THE STOCK
MARKET)
The BMA and other medical organisations, including the Medical
Council on Alcoholism, the Society of Occupational Medicine, and
the General Medical Council, published a report in 1998 into the
misuse of alcohol and other drugs by doctors. It estimated that
as many as one in 15 doctors in the UK suffers from some form of
alcohol or drug dependence during their lifetime.
Joseph Footitt, chairman of the conference and a medical student
from London, said: "Doctors have a duty to give the best possible
care to their patients. If a doctor is under the influence of alcohol
or an illegal drug when at work, their performance is likely to
be impaired and patient safety put at risk." The medical students
hoped that the testing would help restore public confidence in the
NHS. "We believe that by introducing random testing of doctors and
other healthcare workers, patients will be reassured that their
lives are being placed in the safest of hands," said Footitt.
Over 100 medical students attended the seventh annual MSC conference,
held at St Andrew's University Medical School in Scotland over the
weekend of 24-25 March. Nick Jenkins, chairman of the MSC and a
medical student from London, said: "Medical students have made an
important state- ment which, if adopted, would inspire patient's
confidence in the profession."
The MSC put forward the motion for debate at the BMA's Junior Members
Forum held on 1 and 2 April in Bristol, where young doctors from
all disciplines of medicine had the opportunity to consider the
issue. Christine Mundin of the BMA, who attended the forum said:
"The junior doctors agreed with the sentiments of the motion but
after a wide debate with many other groups it was decided that random
testing would not work. However, the issue may be brought up again
in the future."
Kay Brennan, University of westminster, London
studentBMJ 2000;08:131-174 May ISSN 0966-6494
