Wednesday 15 May

Wednesday 15 May: One in five accident and emergency units relies entirely on junior doctors at evenings and weekends, according to a report by the College of Emergency Medicine. The study of more than 130 casualty units said that NHS departments were struggling to provide safe care, with doctors working in "intolerable" environments that place patients at risk. In some cases, gaps at evenings and weekends were filled by "middle-grade" doctors, those who have finished basic training but are still learning specialist skills and have yet to qualify as a consultant. However, at one in five A&E units, junior doctors fresh from medical school were the most senior staff working at evenings and weekends. The Foundation Trust Network also warned that casualty units are close to collapse within a year. The Foundation Trust Network (FTN) criticised the funding system in England which penalises A&E units that oversee a rise in patients. RCN News Report