ONE IN TEN SCOTS DOCTORS MAY BE ADDICTED TO DRINK OR DRUGS

Report says patients are being put at risk by abuse

ONE in 15 doctors in Britain may be dependent on drugs and alcohol and in
Scotland, experts believe the figure could be as high as one in ten.

A report from the British Medical Association, the General Medical Council
and the Medical Defence Union said that drug and alcohol abuse were putting
patients at risk.

Last night, health professionals called for greater awareness of the issues
associated with drug and alcohol consumption among the medical profession.

Peter McCann, the medical director of Castle Craig clinic at Peebles, which
treats patients for drug and alcohol problems, says the centre has helped
100 doctors since opening in 1988.

He said: "I would say the number of doctors needing help is more like one
in ten. We treat a lot of doctors of all ages here.

"Younger doctors quite often are addicted to prescription drugs. We are
talking hard drugs like pethidine and morphine. A lot of them are prone to
addiction. They start on alcohol and go on to class A drugs.

"Doctors are especially vulnerable because they have easy access to drugs
without supervision and that is always going to cause problems."

The BMA report claims more and better publicised services are needed to
ensure that doctors get support, treatment and rehabilitation.

Dr Bill O'Neill, an adviser for the BMA, said: "The aim of this
collaborative report is to cut the risk to patients and ensure that doctors
are getting the support and rehabilitation they need.

"We want to see a change in attitude and a change in culture starting in
our medical schools. It also means recognising the signs of misuse in
ourselves and in our colleagues."

The report found that drug and alcohol abuse is evident among both male and
female doctors at all levels from those recently qualified to those in
retirement. A survey found that 44 per cent of doctors seeking help come
from general practice and 56 per cent from the hospital sector with 38 per
cent of the latter in training grades.

Dr O'Neill added that many doctors were reluctant to come forward with an
emotional problem because of the stigma associated with it, the fear of
jeopardising their career and the fact that many doctors do not know that
help is available.

Most problems were alcohol related, he said, with only a small proportion
of doctors using other drugs. The problem was compounded by the fact that
some doctors do not register with a GP, are not good at looking after their
health and self-prescribe drugs.

Dr Bob Hughes, a reformed alcoholic who now counsels patients at Castle
Craig rehabilitation centre, said patients were often at risk because the
medical profession was reluctant to tackle the problem.

He said: "A doctor who is working while under the influence of alcohol or
suffering from its side-effects is not in a position to do his best for the
patient. At worst, you are dealing with someone who is performing a
potentially life-threatening procedure.

"The figure of one in 15 doctors doesn't surprise me at all. I knew a lot
of doctors who needed help but they got no support from the profession at
all. Society believes that doctors are superhuman. What people have to
realise is that we're ordinary human beings who suffer the same illnesses
and diseases as everybody else."

The report, Misuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs by Doctors, makes 17
recommendations including:

These include:

* Doctors in training posts who express concern about a more senior
colleague should be given support.

* Every medical school should have a drug and alcohol policy.

* Doctors should avoid prescribing for themselves or their colleagues.

* Every doctor's conviction for drink or drug offences - including
convictions for drink driving - should continue to be reported to the GMC.