More than three-quarters (76.2 per cent) of resident physicians responding to a survey said they had made errors at work due to the consecutive number of hours they are required to work, and two in 10 (18.5 per cent) said they made errors that negatively impacted patient care.

The shrill blaring of the alarm drills into your brain and jolts you out of your restless sleep. With eyes heavy as lead, you drag your aching body to work. Nowadays, with half the people gone, you have to go flat out or risk being downsized next – but your incompetent boss doesn’t really care. You stay late, then there’s a traffic jam, heavy rain, and more bad news on the radio. Getting home is no relief – usually when you see your spouse it’s one big fight – mostly about money. The kids are a worry too – and thinking about work keeps you from sleeping, again.

Sounds like a bad dream? Maybe. But parts of it are reality for many people today.