“Demoralised and disenfranchised” is how Dr Mark Murphy, Chairman, NCHD Committee described his fellow NCHDs when speaking to Gordon Deegan for an article that was published in the Irish Times Healthplus supplement on Tuesday, 24th May 2011.

Dr Murphy said that the over reliance on junior doctors “must end”. “I firmly believe that my capacity to deliver good patient care is diminished by the long hours I work and there were several examples in the 83 hours where my judgement and capacity to make decisions was a little bit impaired and that troubles me personally. Working in a fatigued state worries me,” he said.