British Medical Association Responds To Government's Working Time Directive Training Review

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 27 May 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Responding to Health Secretary Alan Johnson's announcement of a review on the impact of the European Working Time Directive on doctors' training, Dr Andy Thornley, Chair of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee, said:

"The NHS has had 11 years to prepare for the full implementation of the European Working Time Directive. Whilst we are pleased to see the government finally respond to concerns about the implementation of the directive and the impact it will have on junior doctors' training, this announcement comes just 10 weeks before the 48-hour week becomes UK law.

"Junior doctors currently deliver a large proportion of service in hospitals, but they also need time to train to become the consultants and GPs of tomorrow. The reduction in hours that has occurred in preparation for the directive has left many juniors frustrated at the lack of training opportunities as hospitals struggle to maintain the same levels of service in a 48-hour week.

"The BMA has repeatedly called on the government to take doctors' concerns about the impact of the directive on training seriously. Whilst a review will be helpful we have proposed a range of practical changes to help protect the standards of junior doctor training. We cannot afford for the high standards of care that patients expect from doctors to be eroded because of poor preparations for the 48-hour limit.

"The re-introduction of training lists, for example, would ensure that trainees are able to perform procedures which are suitable for their stage of training. We have proposed increasing the flexibility of training programmes so that doctors can take more time to progress and gain appropriate experience. It is also crucial that the NHS invests in simulators and skills labs, where doctors can practise techniques using technology which simulates a procedure or operation, and that consultant trainers have protected time to supervise junior doctors.

"We also need to look at how healthcare is delivered in the NHS. The heavy reliance on junior doctors to provide service to patients will need to move towards a system that is more reliant on consultant based care. To achieve this, the NHS will need to look at focused consultant expansion.

"We hope the review will move swiftly so that there is time to implement the range of practical changes that the BMA has been proposing before the August 1st deadline."

Source
British Medical Association