Guidelines for junior doctors aim to cut long hours culture

New
guidance will help hospitals to make sure that the number of hours junior
doctors work is in line with a European directive.

The
European Working Time Directive already applies to most workers in the UK, and
it will cover doctors in training from August 2004. They will have an average
maximum working week of 58 hours.

The
new guidance for the NHS includes reducing the number of rotas, more
cross-cover working and expanding staff numbers. Nineteen pilot schemes across
the NHS in England will test new ways of putting the directive into practice.

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Health
Minister John Hutton said the new guidance and the pilot projects will help to
find solutions in different situations. "There isn’t a one size fits all solution
as each hospital will face different problems," he said.

By Quentin Reade