Statement by the Irish Medical Organisation

#24NoMore

Opinion comes after complaint to Europe from IMO and an extensive campaign warning about health + safety risks to patients and doctor.

33% of NCHDs are routinely required to work in excess of the legal 48 hour limit

Wednesday 19th March 2015. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has welcomed the opinion published by the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that the Irish Government is in breach of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) by requiring Non Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) to work excessive hours. The ECJ gave the finding this morning (Wed).

The IMO complained to the European Commission about excessive working hours faced by NCHDs in Ireland in March 2012. The IMO met with representatives of the EU Commission in 2013 and again in December last. In 2013 the IMO organised the #24NoMore campaign which culminated in NCHDs withdrawing from hospitals across the country for 24 hours in protest at excessive working hours.

Speaking today, Eric Young, Assistant Director of Industrial Relations at the IMO, said that the ECJ opinion was a significant vindication for NCHDs and their campaign and a significant rebuke for the Health Services in Ireland; “this opinion must be a wake-up call for the Irish Government. For years they have forced NCHDs to work excessive hours and that has caused immense hardship and helped create the morale crisis which is forcing young doctors to emigrate from Ireland.”

He continued “We should not have to rely on intervention from Europe on matters like this. Ireland’s health service managers must take responsibility and fulfil their legal obligations to employees and to ensure that patients are dealt with in a safe environment. While progress was made in the 2013 agreement that brought an end to the NCHDs stoppages of that year, there remains enormous work to be done. The target agreed at that time (2013) was that all hospitals would be fully compliant with the EWTD by the end of December last but that is still not the case. We estimate there are still 230 NCHDs in over 21 hospitals working over 24 hours and there remain some who are forced to work 32 hour shifts. 33% of NCHDs are routinely required to work in excess of the legal 48 hour limit which must be urgently addressed. Removal of the protected training time will make this situation worse.”

The IMO will use this opinion by the ECJ to put further pressure on the Government to address this issue as a matter of urgency.