Medics work 120k hours overtime in 5 months

Under-pressure junior doctors at one of Ireland’s busiest hospitals worked 120,000 hours of overtime in the second half of 2012 — costing the taxpayer €4.39m.

New HSE figures show 304 medics at Cork University Hospital worked the significant overtime to fill chronic service gaps between July and November, with doctors warning the strain is putting patients at risk.

According to details obtained by trade publication the Medical Independent, over the five-month period, 304 junior doctors at CUH worked a combined 124,779 hours of overtime.