MED STUDENTS VOTE FOR DRUG TESTS

The student body of the British Medical Association last night voted
overwhelmingly for the introduction of random drug and alcohol testing
for doctors and other health professionals.

At the medical students' annual conference at St Andrew's University
around 100 members of the BMA voted for spot drug and alcohol checks
on doctors. By voting for the reforms the students have clashed with
older generations of doctors within the BMA who are opposed to random
testing, seeing it as an infringement of their civil liberties.

Helena Mennell, a medical student at Guy's, King's and St Thomas's
School of Medicine, London, was prompted to push for reform after
being shocked by a remark made to her about drugs by a fellow student.

She said: "It is something I feel strongly about. One of my fellow
students said, 'I would love to perform an operation on speed.' The
remark made me think a lot about it. I was quite surprised by the the
result; I thought people would think it was an infringement of their
rights but doctors are notorious for over-indulging in alcohol.

"The students who voted for this today are a responsible bunch. I was
very encouraged and hope it will now be adopted as BMA policy. It is
against the BMA's guidelines but the public wants an acknowledgement
that we are taking this seriously. This would be a way of making a
positive gesture to the public. We would be saying: 'You can trust us
because we are willing to undergo tests'."

Mennell said that if a doctor was recognised as having a drug or
alcohol problem as a result of the tests he or she would be offered
counselling and support and hopefully be able to return to work. But
James McCaul, deputy chair of the junior doctors committee, is against
random testing of doctors. He insists doctors do not ask for patients
to be tested before they are treated and would consider new rules an
infringement of doctors' civil liberties.

He said: "Attacks on doctors in Accident and Emergency wards are
increasing and we do not have random testing of patients. We are
expected to take the public at face value.

"It is interesting that the students say this now before they start
practising. I would like to hear what they have to say once they start
working with patients. Of those who voted 25% will give up because the
hours are so long."

Last year a report submitted to government ministers by
representatives from the NHS executive, health trusts and medical
unions recommended that all doctors suspected of drinking or taking
drugs should be subject to spot checks as part of their employment
contract. The report followed a survey of 300 GPs which found that
more than half knew a colleague who drank too much. A further 20% said
they knew of a doctor who had a drug problem.

The problem of alcoholic doctors hit headlines in 1997 when surgeon
Gerald Davies of St John's hospital in Livingston admitted to a fatal
accident inquiry that he drank half a bottle of whisky a night. His
drinking only came to light after operations on two people who
subsequently died. The fatal accident inquiry found, however, that
while his drinking may have played a part in the deaths, there was no
evidence to conclude that this was certain.

The issue is now expected to be debated at the BMA annual general
meeting in London in June.