‘Forcing junior doctors to work 100 hours a week jeopardises patient care’

Health service bosses are putting patients at grave risk by forcing exhausted junior doctors to work “dangerous and illegal” shifts lasting up to 100 hours a week.

Officials from the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) repeated the long- held concern yesterday to politicians at an Oireachtas health committee meeting.

Despite representatives from the HSE insisting the two-decade-old issue was being addressed, IMO non- consultant hospital doctor committee chair Dr Mark Murphy said there was no obvious improvement.