Doctors' hours deadline warning

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The NHS is unlikely to meet a timetable to ensure no junior doctors in Wales work more than 48 hours a week, according to a senior watchdog.

The Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman, says the health service would need more resources and effort if it is to meet the August deadline.

The rules are being implemented under the European Working Time Directive.

The assembly government said the auditor general's report and its recommendations are being considered.

Mr Colman has found that almost all junior doctors in Wales have been working an average of 56 hours a week or less since the end of 2006.

At least three trusts, the Velindre NHS Trust, Powys Local Health Board and the former Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS Trust, which is now part of Hywel Dda NHS Trust, have implemented the shorter 48 hour weeks.

Failure to take this seriously will put junior doctors under even greater pressure and have damaging knock-on consequences Andrew Davies AM, Conservative health spokesman

But Mr Colman said that more than half of junior doctors in Wales are still working in excess of those hours.

He also said that forecasts from the assembly government that no more than 12% of junior doctors would miss the hours target in August was "optimistic".

The UK government is attempting to get this summer's deadline extended, but have yet to reach agreement in the EU.

Agreement

Mr Coleman added: "Trusts should not let the possible extension of the August deadline in certain areas distract them from making every effort to comply fully with the 48 hour week rule for junior doctors.

"Trusts, local health boards, the assembly government and other partners will need to work more closely together over the coming months to discuss and agree what needs to be done to support compliance."

The British Medical Association (BMA) said the concerns raised in Thursday's report were not a surprise.

"BMA Cymru Wales has been concerned for some time about the Trusts' ability to implement the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) and urging them to take immediate action," said a BMA Cymru spokesperson.

"Patient safety is paramount and we have been encouraging the Welsh Assembly Government and the service to set up a forum to focus on EWTD and its implications to junior staff and its impact on patient service for at least 2 years - but without success."

The Conservatives' assembly health spokesman, Andrew RT Davies, accused the government of a "blasé" approach to the issue.

"Failure to take this seriously will put junior doctors under even greater pressure and have damaging knock-on consequences for other parts of the NHS, such as ambulance services and A&E," he said.

An assembly government spokesman said: "The Health Minister, Edwina Hart, has received a copy of the Wales Audit Office report and will consider its findings and recommendations."