Office shortage 'hinders doctors'

Doctors say space to write up notes is crucial

Hospital doctors say they are unable to do their job properly because there is a lack of office space, a survey says.

Three-fifths of the 600 doctors questioned said having too few desks and computers delayed key tasks such as writing discharge letters.

The British Medical Association, which carried out the poll warned the shortage also affected confidentiality.

NHS managers said the recent increase in the number of doctors could have led to pressures on the space available.

The plush, spacious, consultant's office is a figment of television imagination Dr Jonathan Fielden, BMA's consultants committee chairman

In the BMA survey, half of junior doctors and a quarter of consultants said there was less space available to them than a year ago.

And over a third of all the doctors questioned said changes to either the quantity or quality of the space they had access to had affected their ability to provide patient care.

The survey found budget cuts and demands from NHS managers for office space had affected the room available for doctors.

Some also said more clinical staff had been appointed to their hospital when there was nowhere to put them.

'Struggling to cope'

Dr Esther Knight-Terlouw. who took part in the survey, said she had worked on a ward at one East Midlands hospital where there was just one computer.

"There were 30 patients who we needed to complete paperwork for and not enough space to do it."

She said doctors would have to queue up to use the computer - which was right in the middle of the ward.

"There were a lot of distractions, and no real confidentiality."

Dr Jonathan Fielden, chairman of the BMA's Consultants Committee, said: "The plush, spacious, consultant's office is a figment of television imagination.

"Many consultants, junior doctors, and staff and associate specialist grade doctors have no office space at all.

"Those that do are struggling to cope in tiny spaces shared with colleagues."

He added: "Doctors handle sensitive information and need space for private conversations with their patients and other staff.

"If they have to 'hot-desk', the confidentiality of their patients is put at risk.

"There is little doubt that working practices are being adversely affected, and that this can ultimately be detrimental to patient care."

Nigel Edwards, policy director of the NHS Confederation which represents over 95% of NHS trusts, said: "We agree that doctors clearly need adequate space in which to carry out their duties safely while respecting patient confidentiality.

"At the same time, since the NHS plan was launched, we have seen a large increase in the number of doctors.

"As hospitals only have a finite amount of space - most of it dedicated to treating patients - extra pressure on office space may well have resulted and been picked up by NHS staff."