I am committed to ensuring that non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) have safe working conditions and to achieving compliance with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) by 2014. This is in the interest of doctors themselves and the patients under their care.
I welcome the decision of the IMO earlier this week to suspend its threat of industrial action by NCHDs. The IMO met health service management under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission on 20 September and further engagement between the parties is planned for tomorrow. In these circumstances it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specific proposals under discussion.
However, in response to a request from me earlier this year, the HSE established a National Group to bring a clear and urgent focus to implementation of the European Working Time Directive. This Group has been working closely with hospitals during the year and progress has been achieved in relation to a number of interim targets, relating to doctors working in excess of 24 hours in a single duty/on-call shift and instances of doctors working in excess of 68 hours per week. The reorganisation of hospital rosters has been amongst the key measures pursued in order to reduce the working hours required of NCHDs. I am confident that progress will continue to be made towards the objective of full compliance with the EWTD.
I am committed to retaining doctors who are educated and trained in Ireland within the system and to improving their career pathways and working hours. At the end of July this year, I set up a working group chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU to carry out a strategic review of the medical training and career structure of NCHDs with a view to improving retention of graduates in the public health system. In particular, I want the group to set out a clear pathway for training at every level from Intern to Specialist, and to examine the potential for reducing the length of specialist training. I see this as a modernising initiative which is needed urgently. I have asked Professor MacCraith to provide an interim report to me by end November 2013 and a final report by end June 2014.
