Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 29 Jun 1995

Vol. 455 No. 3

Written Answers - Non-consultant Doctors' Working Hours.

Kathleen Lynch

Ceist:

41 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Health the number of non-consultant hospital doctors who worked in excess of 65 hours per week in 1994; the maximum number of hours worked by any one doctor in any one week in the same year; when a mechanism to control and monitor working hours will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12059/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): Non-consultant hospital doctors work a “basic” 39 hour week. However they are liable to be rostered for an average of 65 hours per week. Figures are not available on the number of doctors who worked in excess of the 65 hours or on the maximum number of hours worked by any one doctor in any one week in 1994. The absence of this information is largely due to the absence of mechanisms to record unapproved or unrostered hours.

The report on the Joint Pilot Study on Unrostered Hours of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors carried out in 1994 by a group representative of the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board, the Irish Business Employers' Confederation, the Irish Medical Organisation and my Department identified the problem of unrostered hours in certain specialties. Following this report, my Department and health service management representatives entered negotiations with the Irish Medical Organisation and agreement has now been reached on a mechanism to deal with the problem of unrostered hours. Stage 1 of this mechanism which involves procedures being established for hospital management to record all hours claimed will be introduced with effect from 1 July 1995.