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Registrar working hours in Cape Town
South African Journal of Surgery. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif Vir Chirurgie
|September 27, 2005
Summary
General surgical registrars in Cape Town work over 100 hours weekly, exceeding international limits. This study documents their demanding work hours, raising concerns for surgical training and resident well-being.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Workforce Health
Background:
- International efforts aim to reduce surgical registrar work hours to mitigate fatigue and errors.
- The impact of these work-hour restrictions on surgical training quality is not fully understood.
- No official data exists on South African surgical registrar work hours.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document the weekly work hours of general surgical registrars in Cape Town.
- To compare these hours against established European and American work-hour restrictions.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 33 general surgical registrars at the University of Cape Town.
- Registrars completed time sheets over a 2-week period, detailing on-duty and on-call hours.
- Data was collected from multiple hospital sites including Groote Schuur Hospital and the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five registrars completed the study, reporting an average of 105 work hours per week at Groote Schuur Hospital.
- Registrars at other sites (New Somerset Hospital, Red Cross Children's Hospital, etc.) reported 60-79 hours per week.
- Surgical Intensive Care Unit registrars averaged 75 hours per week.
Conclusions:
- General surgical registrars in Cape Town consistently exceed European and American work-hour limits.
- The documented high work hours raise significant concerns regarding surgical training effectiveness and registrar well-being.
- Further investigation into the implications of these work hours on patient safety and training outcomes is warranted.