EC: Lives of junior doctors and patients at risk

Numerous cases of doctors working continuous 36-hour shifts and 100-hour-plus weeks is putting their lives and health, as well as the lives of their patients, at risk, the European Commission has warned.

It is referring Ireland to the European Court of Justice for failing to apply the working-time rules that they were supposed to be phased in for doctors in training over nine years from 2000.

But despite several warnings to implement it, the Government still has not done so, the Commission said. However, Health Minister James Reilly said he was disappointed that the commission is referring the issue to the court, saying he has assured it of Ireland’s commitment to apply the directive.