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DOCTORS ARE TO vote on whether they accept a new deal aimed at eliminating unsafe and illegal hours.
It also seeks to tackle difficulties in getting paid for hours worked, study leave and payroll problems.
Junior doctor representatives at the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) will ballot NCHD members to seek support for the agreement with the HSE and the Department of Health.
Non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), or junior doctors, are doctors working in hospitals who are not consultants but who provide important medical care to patients and are often taking postgraduate training in a particular specialty.
Doctors have repeatedly warned current conditions are dangerous for patients and causing burnout for doctors.
Last April, The Journal reported that junior doctors worked 2.8 million recorded overtime hours last year, with major concerns on how that is taking place to the detriment of patients and staff.
In 2021, junior doctors in Ireland worked a total of 2.8 million recorded overtime hours, according to figures provided by the HSE.
On average, between 2016 and 2021, a collective 2.5 million hours were worked beyond contracted time.
If the ballot passes, it would potentially see employers being penalised for noncompliance.
The IMO also said it has secured agreement that an “entirely new” NCHD contract will be negotiated starting in January.
The development follows protracted negotiations involving the union’s NCHD committee and the HSE and Department of Health and were prompted by the overwhelmingsupport of NCHDs for action up to and including industrial action.
The IMO outlined some of the key elements of the agreement to include:
- introduction of rostering rules where NCHDs “must be granted appropriate rest and employers will be financially penalised” where hours breach the legal limit;
- ensuring NCHDs get paid for all hours worked via a nationally agreed timesheet;
- enhanced training supports and guaranteed study leave for gateway/mandatory exams;
- commitment to begin talks on a new junior doctor contract in January.
Dr John Cannon, Chairman of the NCHD Committee of the IMO, said the agreement was hard-won, but that further work would be required in negotiations on a new contract.
“We believe that while it represents progress in some key areas, further reform on NCHD working conditions and training must be secured in the NCHD Contract negotiations which will commence in January 2023.
He added: “NCHDs are doctors in training and their work/study and life balance must be protected to ensure safety for both doctors and patients.
We view this very much as a first step in changing the culture in which NCHDs are treated within the system which is bad for doctors, bad for patients and leading to ever increasing levels of emigration.”
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So Truck drivers Hours are monitored for safety reasons BUT Doctors are allowed work All the hours under the Sun to the Detriment of patients wellbeing,Mmmmmmmm
@Larry Rawson: you wouldn’t let someone who hasn’t slept for three days service your car, but you are expected to put your life in their hands.
Why is this practice not addressed yes, as Junior Doctors working unsafe long hours is going on for years. Perhaps the Medical Consultants should now support the these people as most of the Juniors are filling in for them.
Successive Irish governments have been quite happy paying millions in fines rather than implement the european working time directive. These men and women whom help keep us alive are being so badly mistreated for as long as I can remember it’s a total disgrace. Having worked in a hospital for 25 yrs and having a good few friends in the medical profession, I honestly don’t know how they have put up with it for so long. Is it any wonder our best trained people are leaving the country. It’s long past time to start treating them with a lot more respect.
This unsafe practice, working long hours by Junior doctors is going on for years. Why is this practice not addressed yet, perhaps they need more support from the Medical Consultants who they are usually filling in for most of the time.
@Laz Mahon: the person who came up with this system was addicted to cocaine and therefore had problems sleeping. Not safe for the doctors going home after the shift or their patients during.
The HSE / Department of Health needs to be overhauled, latest contact for consultants require them to be on call up to 10 pm during working week and 6 pm at weekend, words fail me
37 hr week for all. Commuting should be included in the 37. Overtime banned. Working from home prioritised.
@François Pignon:You wouldn’t happen to be french by any chance?
“The measures would see employers penalised for non-compliance” – So the HSE, and by proxy the DOH and the taxpayer.
There’s no incentive for reform, the punishment is borne by the taxpayer and the health system. It’s difficult not to see this as another small step towards further privatisation of more and more of the health system. Slaintecare has been a joke, in a long line of sick jokes since the formation of the HSE from the regional health by board model (which we’re now returning to but under the HSE naming)
@Brendan Gordon: Here’s the thing Brendan. The old health board system worked better. It was more accountable at a local level. One of the reasons the HSE was established was to cut out a layer of management. Instead it added more layers and became more bureaucratic.
@Declan Moran: Oh I know, and the return to the regional health board system will add another layer of useless bureaucracatic dregs again. I was a swabber and applied for some higher roles and saw first hand how the slaintecare rollout is basically being treated as a gravy train for those short on useful skills and competencies but who know not to rock the boat. Everyone is covering for everyone else lest they be rumbled that a single competent professional could handle the workload of an entire department of domesticated apes
All this will do is increase wait times. They get paid enough. They know what they signed up for
@Colin Mahony: A person sleep deprived is more likely to crash than someone over the limit. Would like an intoxicated person doing/ assisting in a surgery on you or a loved one. Or indeed prescribing you/ administing medicine. Or even diagnosing you?? Imagine being treated for the wrong aliment because the doctor attending to you is finishing a 24hour shift and wasn’t/ couldn’t have been thinking straight. I think your position is out of complete ignorance of what been sleep deprived does to the mind and body.
@Colin Mahony: Colin , how will this increase wait times, Im curious to know?
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