Some Docs Feel Time
Pressure Compromises Care
Excerpt By Richard Woodman, Reuters Health

LONDON (Reuters Health) - UK doctors feel they are being penalised for spending time with patients that is necessary for good patient care, according to a survey by the British Medical Association's magazine, BMA News.

The magazine said one family practitioner had been sacked by her practice, which she said insisted on five-minute consultations as standard.

Ninety per cent of the 200 doctors who responded to the survey also complained that patient care was being adversely affected by short consultation times. Two-thirds admitted making mistakes because of time pressures.

With more than one million people on National Health Service waiting lists for surgery, there is pressure on doctors to see as many patients as quickly as possible.

Southampton University Hospital consultant gastroenterologist David Fine told the magazine he was asked by his trust to do extra clinics when he insisted on maintaining longer consultation times.

Fine offers new patients 30-minute appointments and patients he is following up 15-minute appointments. ``I feel that is the least time that I need. I am not seeing significantly fewer patients than my colleagues and am well within royal college guidelines for the number I should be seeing.''

A hospital spokeswoman told BMA News it worked very hard to balance the needs of patients with the requirement to meet government targets.

BMA consultants committee chairman Peter Hawker said: ''Chief executives should be obsessed about the quality of care they give patients. Unfortunately, too many are obsessed with the quantity.''

BMA general practitioners (GPs) committee joint deputy chairman Hamish Meldrum said the proportion of doctors making errors could be even higher than suggested. ``The demands patients are rightly putting on their GP for more information and so on have increased. GPs must ensure they do a proper assessment and diagnosis, discuss treatment options and make sure the patient agrees with what is happening.''

Reference Source 89

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