A comparison of a 12-hour and eight-hour shift system

Despite the increasing use of, and discussion about, 12-hour shifts there has been little assessment of its impact in the UK. A study was carried out to compare two medical wards that had been operating a 12-hour shift for more than one year with two medical wards that had continued with a conventional shift system over the same period. Staff questionnaires and interviews, patient interviews, documentation review and analysis of a number of organisational issues were undertaken to evaluate the effect of the shift pattern worked. There were no significant differences between the shift patterns. However, some aspects of the 12-hour shift produced more favourable responses from the staff: less fatigue was reported by those working the 12-hour shift and documentation was more complete on these wards. However, the length of time available for the handover was identified as a problematic area. This work demonstrates the complexities in evaluating patterns of work.