Government data shows that an increasing number of clinical rotas are failing to comply with a 48-hour working week for trainees.
With just two months to go until the Working Time Directive is implemented, figures from strategic health authorities for April show that 72% of clinical rotas were reported as compliant. This is down from 78% in March.
The government projected that rota compliance should have reached 85% at this point.
The Royal College of Surgeons is predicting that the number of clinical rotas reporting compliance will continue to fall as the deadline approaches, with staff shortages becoming apparent. It estimates there are 3,000 unfilled junior doctor posts.
John Black, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “Moving to 48-hour working with current staffing means losing half a million hours of doctor-patient time a year from the NHS, and the NHS is struggling to cope.
“The college reported in January that rotas were only being held together by internal locums and were meeting the regulations on paper alone. It is now becoming apparent the closer we get to the deadline that the government’s predictions on meeting this regulation have been hopelessly optimistic.”
The government recently launched an eleventh hour review into the impact of the Working Time Directive on juniors’ training.
Tags: WTD
