Resident doctors shouldn’t depend on exception reporting

Abstract

Reforms to exception reporting may undermine professional values and autonomy, writes Alexander Mafi The recent reforms to exception reporting agreed between the BMA and the government are a win for resident doctors working in NHS hospitals.1 The new policy will help to ensure that resident doctors are promptly and fairly compensated for additional hours worked above their contracted hours.2 Although these reforms will streamline processes and increase accountability among trusts, they also represent another step towards cementing a culture of shift work into UK medical practice. Exception reporting is a valuable tool, but it’s one that is best used to flag a consistent problem with ward staffing, high workloads, or personal challenges, not as a mechanism to compensate doctors for every extra minute worked. We should reflect on whether we’re sacrificing too much of our professional autonomy and workplace support mechanisms for a small financial benefit. The new …