New limits on doctors' hours now in force.Summary: New EU regulations are limiting the hours that junior doctors can work from today.New EU regulations are limiting the hours that junior doctors can work from today. The rules have slashed the working week from 56 to 48 hours. But the Royal College of Surgeons and pressure group RemedyUK have warned that the European Working Time Directive The Working Time Directive of the European Union (Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organization of working time, Official Journal L 307, 13/12/1993 pages 0018–0024; amended by Directive 2000/34/EC of the European Parliament and could wreak havoc if there is a second wave of swine flu swine flu n. A highly contagious form of human influenza caused by a filterable virus identical or related to a virus formerly isolated from infected swine. in the autumn. Dr Andy Thornley, chairman of the British Medical Association's junior doctors' committee, repeated fears that doctors may have been asked to lie about their hours and warned of potential gaps in rotas. Dr Thornely said: "The NHS NHS abbr. National Health Service NHS (in Britain) National Health Service has had a decade to prepare for the introduction of the 48-hour week for junior doctors, yet it is clear to those of us that work in the NHS that many trusts have not properly prepared for this change." Today, the think tank Open Europe Open Europe is a London based eurosceptic think-tank which was set up by UK business people to 'campaign for reform' in the European Union. While Open Europe does not advocate withdrawal from the EU, it is highly critical of the process of European integration and has called for , which is calling for reform of the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community , said the rules could cost the NHS the equivalent of 5,400 new doctors. Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved. Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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