Brussels, 05/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has issued opinions accepting that Hungary, the Netherlands and UK will, on a temporary basis, slightly extend working time of doctors in training. The Commission has consulted the social partners, and the opinions underline that the average weekly working time for doctors in training still cannot exceed 52 hours, including on-call at the work place, and that the temporary extension will last until 31 July 2011.
In a press release, the Commission explains that: (1) Hungary said it had already reduced working time limits for doctors in training to 56 hours per week, including on-call at the workplace. However, the government, supported by the Hungarian Medical Association, said it needed an extension to allow for reorganisation of the medical training system; (2) the Netherlands said that it had already reduced working time limits for doctors in training to 56 hours per week, including on-call time at the workplace. The government stated that the social partners had reached an agreement on how they could now move from a 52- to a 48-hour limit during the extended two-year period; (3) and the UK said that it was committed to achieving full compliance with the 48-hour limit for all doctors in training and had made considerable progress towards this target. The majority of doctors in training in the UK already worked 48 hours or less per week on average, including on-call time. The UK could not yet meet this target in a minimum number of posts in some 24-hour services and remote or highly specialised units, due to shortages of specialist staff and reconfiguration of hospital services.
The Commission explains in the press release that the Working Time Directive contains special rules for doctors in training, whose average weekly working hours are to gradually reduce from 2004 to not more than 48 hours, in principle by 31 July 2009. The directive allows member states who have difficulties in meeting this target to use an additional two years, provided that average working time does not exceed 52 hours per week in the meantime. All the other measures in the directive (like rest time and time on-call) have applied to junior doctors since 1 August 2004.
In the opinions it has issued, the Commission encourages all three member states to increase their efforts to meet the 48 hours a week objective for all junior doctors by 1 July 2011, and to step up consultations with healthcare employers and doctors' representatives to decide on the best way to achieve this. (G.B./transl.fl)