URGENT changes are needed to improve the welfare of junior doctors, union leaders have said.

A British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland survey found 75 per cent of junior doctors felt exhausted or tired at work after four consecutive long shifts. 

About half of those who responded to the survey said their current rota contained at least four consecutive shifts lasting longer than 10 hours, with over two-thirds claiming they did not feel supported by their employer in relation to their wellbeing.

Alisdair Gilmour, chair of the BMA’s Scottish junior doctors committee, said that junior doctors in Scotland were under pressure before the pandemic and workers needed to feel valued by employers and the government. 

He said: “Life during the pandemic has only amplified this and many junior doctors are considering how their work impacts upon their personal lives and whether they are able to achieve the work-life balance they need.”

A Scottish government spokeswoman said it would give serious consideration to the points raised in the report, adding: “We are all indebted to junior doctors and everyone who works in our health service.”