NHS takes on more staff as junior doctor weekly hours are slashed

Published on Wednesday 5 August 2009 22:03

EXTRA staff are being employed at Scots hospitals to meet new rules on reduced working hours for junior doctors, it has emerged.

The European Working Time Directive (EWTD), which came into force on Saturday, slashed the working week from 56 to 48 hours.

NHS Grampian said it had employed 60 extra staff and it currently is around 600 junior doctors. A spokeswoman estimated 86 per cent of junior doctors were working to the new hours this week and the health board was aiming to achieve 100 per cent "soon".

NHS Highland said it had created the equivalent of 33 full-time positions to meet the EWTD including posts for nurses and pharmacists.

The health boards said the extra staff were just one measure to meet the cut in hours with others including a re-design of rotas.

But NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said although it had used a "raft of measures" it had not hired extra staff to bring in the new rules.

A Scottish Government spokesman said it was estimated around 96 per cent of junior doctors were working to the new limit. He said: "We are closely monitoring NHS boards' actions towards achieving compliance with the EWTD and providing support through the Working Time Regulations Advisor to ensure they achieve this.

"The advisor is visiting boards to support them in rota and service redesign, while boards continue to invest in new roles for medical and non medical staff and to expand the Hospital at Night model which will reduce junior doctors' hours."

The spokesman said compliance with the rules is the responsibility of the health boards.