Doctors and nurses often work while ill

A  study of healthcare workers in a children’s hospital has found that 83 per cent had come to work while sick at least once in the past year, even though almost all believed that working while ill can endanger patients.

The study, in JAMA Paediatrics, asked 536 hospital workers about how often they came to work sick. It also asked with what ailments they might do so.

Almost 80 per cent of the 280 doctors said they would work with a cough or runny nose, and 60 per cent with congestion and a sore throat. More than 21 per cent said they would come to work with a fever, and almost eight per cent said they would work even if they were vomiting.

The numbers were significantly lower for 256 nurses, midwives and physician assistants. Even so, 70 per cent said they would work while coughing, and half while afflicted with a runny nose, cough, congestion or sore throat.

The most common reasons were not wanting to let patients and colleagues down and concern about whether there would be enough staff to pick up the work.

“We focus on hand hygiene and other infection control measures,” said Dr Julia S Sammons of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Not coming to work when you’re sick is part of this.”