Cut in doctors’ hours ‘may never happen’

A LEADING medic has warned that Department of Health plans to tackle junior doctors’ excessive hours may never be implemented due to staff cuts and a 15-year failure to address the issue.

Dr Mark Murphy said despite repeated attempts to tackle the situation, frontline doctors are still working up to 100 hours a week — including 36-hour shifts — with few or no breaks.

In response to the latest European Commission (EC) order last September to lessen the workload due to dangers posed to staff and public, the department finally released plans this week to reduce hours over the next three years. This was more than a month after the EC response deadline.