Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2004
387 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children , further to Question No. 236 of 2 December 2003, the progress to date on the European Working Time Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5803/04]
View answerAs outlined in my reply to Question No. 236 of 2 December 2003, Ireland is legally obliged to begin applying the conditions stipulated in the European Working Time Directive to doctors in training from 1 August 2004, and I am determined that every effort will be made to effect these employment rights. Discussions with the Irish Medical Organisation on the implementation of the directive as it relates to doctors in training have re-convened in the Labour Relations Commission. The most recent meeting took place on 17 February 2004. Management and the Irish Medical Organisation have confirmed their commitment to engagement to achieve the required reduction in non-consultant hospital doctors' working hours. A number of further meetings have been planned and it is hoped that the negotiations can be completed within a ten week timeframe.
The report of the National Taskforce on Medical Staffing — the Hanly report — specifies a number of national initiatives which, when combined with appropriate local action, provide the capacity to deliver on the requirements of the European Working Time Directive in respect of the reduction of working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors by 1 August 2004. These initiatives are as follows: reduction of tiered on-call by different grades of non-consultant hospital doctors; introduction of cross-cover arrangements; new non-consultant hospital doctor working patterns; rostering of hospital medical staff; and changes in skill-mix and practice for other grades of hospital staff.
The Hanly report also recommends a review of a range of work patterns, accurate recording of information and centralised rostering by each health agency; and at a national level, regulation by a single national agency of all hospital medical posts, subject to independent approval of training posts based on training criteria. Other steps recommended to reduce the working week as required include the appointment of a national group to implement the task force's proposals on tiered on-call, cross-cover and other relevant issues to monitor progress regarding the reduction in non-consultant hospital doctors' hours, and the immediate establishment of a working group in each hospital to work with the national group and to progress measures proposed by the task force for the reduction of non-consultant hospital doctors' hours at local level. These groups are to include appropriate hospital managers, consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors, nurses and other relevant health care professionals. Arrangements for the establishment of these groups were discussed with the Irish Medical Organisation at the last meeting in the Labour Relations Commission and it is my wish to have them operational at an early date.
Consultation and planning on the implementation of the European Working Time Directive requirements for non-consultant hospital doctors is ongoing. This week, the chief executive officers of health boards and hospital managers, together with senior officials from my Department and the Health Service Employers Agency, met to discuss developments to date and to agree further steps at national and local level which are required to implement the directive by 1 August. Ongoing communication and co-ordination structures will support this process. A national co-ordinator and support team are being seconded from the health agencies to oversee this process. Medical manpower managers who were approved under the 2000 non-consultant hospital doctor agreement are also playing a central role in the implementation arrangements.
The appointment of a national steering group, under an independent chairman, to oversee and co-ordinate the reduction in non-consultant hospital doctor working hours has also been agreed. The inter-agency health care forum and the medical stakeholders group will have an important role to play in maintaining open liaison between agencies. Fast-tracking the work-up of draft rosters in a representative group of hospitals based on detailed information which has been collated is being progressed. An expert on rostering issues, who acted as a previous consultant to the Hanly group, has been retained in an advisory capacity. The medical education and training group of the Hanly task force is continuing its work and engaging with the training colleges on the provision of appropriate training within the requirements of the directive. It is intended to agree appropriate protocols-parameters in this regard.
As the working week for non-consultant hospital doctors will be reduced from the current average of 77 hours to 58 hours, as required under the directive, this should result in significant financial flexibility in the implementation of the necessary measures. I am confident that, as the benefits of adopting the directive's measures are increasingly recognised, all parties involved will continue to co-operate to bring about the successful achievement of healthier and safer working conditions for doctors and safer provision of services to patients.
