‘Scandal’ over long working hours for many junior doctors

Date: 07/02/02

By Martin Banks

THE biggest union federation in Europe says many junior hospital doctors on the continent are working well above the number of hours they should be.

An estimated 270,000 'doctors in training' across Europe violate an EU directive by working more than 48 hours a week, according to the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU).

The Brussels-based group, which represents ten million public health workers, describes this as an 'EU-wide scandal' and wants member states to fully implement the Working Time Directive.

This limits the average number of hours that can be worked in a week to 48.

'Many junior doctors, particularly in the UK, Ireland and Germany, are working more than 70 hours a week,' said Brian Synnott, the federation's political officer.

'This is a scandal and we are calling for all doctors in training to be immediately covered by the directive.

'This was adopted in 1993, yet people on the health service frontline are still working well over 48 hours a week. Over-worked hospital staff endanger themselves and their patients, a fact that has many human rights and legal ramifications.'

He added: 'The Scandinavian countries have a special part to play: they have largely achieved, and often exceeded, the requirements of the directive. These countries are role models of good practice.'

The issue of working hours was highlighted at a major trade union conference in London on Tuesday (5 February).

The meeting was told that, in the UK alone, four million people work more than 48 hours every seven days.

In the UK, workers work an average 43.6 hours: the European average is 40.3.

In France, however, the average is just 35 hours.

Many junior hospital doctors in Europe are working more than 48 hours a week, according to the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU).

http://www.epsu.org/ http://www.epsu.org/

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