Don't carry on, doctor...

Drinking at high risk levels and the use of illegal drugs among junior hospital doctors is becoming a matter for concern, according to researchers at Newcastle University.

One year after graduation from Newcastle, junior house officers in hospitals in north-eastern England were questioned. There were 90 respondents, of whom 84 drank alcohol. Results published in The Lancet show that over 60 per cent of both male and female doctors exceeded the recommended safe limits. Almost 12 per cent drank at hazardous levels and more than one in four were binge drinkers (25 per cent men and 29.2 per cent women).

Over 35 per cent of male and 19 per cent of female doctors reported that they were currently using cannabis, whilst 13 per cent of the men and 10 per cent of the women used LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, ecstasy, amyl nitrate, cocaine, and amphetamines.

For nearly all the doctors who drank, consumption had increased from the time when they were second year medical students.

The survey also assessed levels of anxiety and depression. High levels of these disorders were associated with work pressures, but not with alcohol or illicit drug use.

The researchers conclude that the levels of alcohol and drug use which they found are unlikely to be confined to doctors in the North East. They point out that this is a cause for concern both for the health of the doctors themselves and for the patients in their care. The question of random drug testing and alcohol screening programmes is raised, although the authors of the survey take the cautious line that there is no evidence that these methods "would be workable or appropriate in the UK National Health Service." Some sections of industry and the armed forces operate a mandatory urine testing and many observers would ask why the NHS, with patients well being at risk, should be exempt or in what way such a course might be inappropriate.