Doctors vulnerable to 'unsafe' hours

Doctors remain vulnerable to dangerously long shifts, putting themselves and their patients at risk, the Australian Medical Association says.

The AMA has launched an audit of doctors' work hours to track changes since its 2011 report found more than 50 per cent of those working in hospitals were at risk of fatigue.

"Serious medical errors increase with frequent long shifts. Extended shifts have a similar effect to working under the influence of alcohol," the organisation's president Michael Gannon said on Sunday.