LISTEN: Exhausted doctors need legal protection before they make 'difficult decisions'

By Q Radio News

A group of senior doctors say they're deeply concerned about the pressures medical staff will face as they prepare for an expected surge in hospital admissions due to Covid-19. 

As of yesterday there were 840 coronavirus patients in our hospitals, 67 of whom were in intensive care.

The Chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland says he is worried about the long term impact on doctors mental health and on the health service.

A recent survey showed 47%of BMA members here say they were coping, but unlikely to be able to continue indefinitely. 

Doctor Tom Black says they've had to reissue ethical guidance surrounding decision making. 

“Many of our members are deeply worried about the coming weeks. We have already seen the health service come under pressure recently with calls for additional staff to voluntarily come into work, but is likely that over the next few weeks doctors will be asked to work in a new location or provide support to areas that are very overstretched. Many have already had planned annual leave cancelled,'' he said. 

“Speaking to members I know they will as always do their best for patients, but many of them have told me that they are already exhausted and deeply demoralised.

''In a recent survey of BMA members in Northern Ireland 47% of them said they were coping but were unlikely to be able to continue indefinitely, 46% said they were not able to give care to the standard they would want and 65% anticipated that their workload would increase significantly in this second wave. 

“The pressure we are under at the minute is widespread and we are likely to see whole system issues over the next few weeks where it is not just one doctor or nurse struggling but the whole team who will be jointly facing challenges and trying to overcome obstacles.

''Health care workers will do their best in a very difficult situation, where many decisions in this pandemic were made too late. I have no doubt that when we come to review the way we have handled the pandemic this phase will stand out as one where we could have planned better.''

Northern Ireland has potential extra ICU capacity available at its Nightingale hospital in Belfast, though clinical staff from other hospitals in the region are required to operate that facility at the City Hospital.

Dr Black insists no healthcare worker wants to have to decide who gets treatment and who doesn't, however he says it's important that they have tools and information to help them make those difficult decisions.

''We have also co-signed a letter to the Health Minister asking for emergency legislation to be put in place that will protect doctors and nurses from "inappropriate" legal action when dealing with circumstances outside their control,'' he added. 

“There is no doubt the news about the vaccines and the rate at which they are being given out here is good news but I would strongly caution against people seeing this as a silver bullet.

''People need to get a second dose before they have optimal immunity and COVID-19 is still highly prevalent in the community. There seems to be a sense in some quarters that ‘it’s all over’ but that is very much not the case.”