The sound of junior doctors cracking under the strain

It is 9am on Wednesday, and Anthony O’Connor, a medical registrar at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, is beginning his oncall shift by reviewing his inpatient files. Towards midday he transfers to the emergency department, where he will remain on duty until 9am the following morning. There are treatment plans to draw up, lumbar punctures to commission and chest X-rays to order. “There’s a lot of decision-making involved. You have to be nimble on your feet. Some of the elderly patients have stories to tell and you do your best to lend an ear, but there’s always the pressure to move on to the next patient,” he says. (Times) >