Letter: 'In 1989 we hatched a plan for Sir Christopher Booth to spend a night with some junior doctors'

Sir Christopher Booth was a president of the BMA (1986-87) and I was editor of BMA News Review, the magazine for its members. In 1989 we hatched a plan for him to spend a night with some junior doctors on call in a hospital out of London. He came back horrified, writing: "No one can function properly as a physician after 24 hours of continuous duty, with only two hours of sleep ... it is monstrous that we should subject any devoted young doctor to such conditions." The story was picked up by the wider press. It was a courageous move that had a powerful effect on drawing attention to the issue.