Junior doctors at a Glasgow hospital are living in accommodation that falls below minimum standards set down by the government, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said.

BMA News said that pre-registration house officers (PRHO) at the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust are living in accommodation with barred windows that pose a serious fire risk.

They also have to walk past boarded-up buildings to reach their rooms near Gartnavel Royal Hospital.

The trust said that it had inspected all junior doctors' accommodation and was treating maintenance as "high priority".

Options for addressing these issues are being considered in partnership with junior doctors' representatives

North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS trust spokeswoman

Junior doctors are often required to reside in hospital accommodation because of their work or because they are unable to afford private housing.

The BMA Scottish junior doctors committee (SJDC) warned that the accommodation at Gartnavel fell far short of the minimum standards laid down by the Department of Health with the intention of safeguarding the rights of junior staff.

But the Scottish Executive said it was powerless to do anything while wrangles continued over whether trusts had a duty to improve juniors' accommodation.

Student deaths

SJDC deputy chairman Jason Long told BMA News: "We understand the bars are thought necessary for security because of the proximity to Gartnavel Royal Hospital, which has psychiatric patients, but we fear that these are a fire hazard."

He cited a fatal accident inquiry two years ago into the deaths of two Glasgow students who were living in a basement flat with bars on the windows.

The flat where the students died

The accommodation houses PRHOs attached to the Western Infirmary and Gartnavel General Hospital, part of the trust.

A spokeswoman for the trust said: "North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust has appointed an officer with specific responsibility for driving forward improvements in accommodation standards for junior doctors.

She said that the trust had inspected all junior doctors' accommodation and identified areas where improvement is required.

High priority

"Options for addressing these issues are being considered in partnership with junior doctors' representatives," she said.

"In the interim, our Facilities and Estates Department is treating as high priority ongoing maintenance requirements."

She said the window grilles were introduced as a security measure.

In response to concerns over the fire risk, the trust had obtained specialist advice and had been assured that fire safety was not compromised by the security arrangements, she said.