Trainee doctors face paperwork overload

JUNIOR doctors in the NHS are spending four times longer on paperwork than they are with patients, a national study reveals.

- By Lucy Johnston SOCIAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

The research called the TACT Study and carried out by scientists at Imperial College London is the first of its kind in the UK.

It found doctors in training spend just 18% of their time with patients and 72% doing admin such as writing notes, chasing test results and filling out discharge letters.

The study comes just days after the Government launched its 10-year plan to “fix” the NHS - including more community care, digital upgrades and a focus on prevention rather than treatment.

But the research suggests the biggest issue is doctors being swamped by paperwork.