Statement On European Working Time Directive

A report on how Wales plans to adhere to European Legislation on working hours for junior doctors was launched on Monday 3 July 2006.

‘Designed to Comply’ is an evaluation report which outlines the current position within Wales with regard to our compliance with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD).  It has been written as an enabler for all NHS employers throughout Wales to achieve the requirements of the Directive.

By August 2009, all junior medical staff within the NHS are expected to work within the working and rest limits outlined within the EWTD with the maximum hours of work reduced from 58 to 48 hours per week.

As of March 2006 compliance in Wales with the 2004 EWTD requirements of 58 hours was 96%.  Based on current working patterns and if the service remains the same as now, this would result in compliance of approximately 29% with the 48 hours target for 2009.

The Directive is European law and concerns the health and safety of workers but due to the nature of the work of healthcare professionals it also applies to the safety of patients. What matters most to me as Health Minister is that we continue to deliver a high standard of care to the Welsh people, but at the same time we must maintain our high standard of post graduate training.

To ensure compliance with the EWTD, we must deliver services in a very different way. This is another major challenge for the NHS in Wales
It is a major driver of our 10 year strategy Designed for Life.

This will involve changing practices within Trusts – the Hospital at Night concept of service delivery being one of these changes.  However, it must be recognised that no single solution can be implemented across Wales as a whole.  There is no “one size fits all” answer to the problem.

Through the narrative of Designed to Comply, links can be established with the Hospital at Night concept, Modernising Medical Careers and recent Welsh Assembly Government documents ‘Designed for Life’ and ‘Designed for Work’.  It is vital that these links are maintained and improved and ‘Designed to Comply’ should be seen as a starting point for not only achieving the work and rest requirements of the Directive but also assisting us in our ambition to create a world class healthcare service.

The Health and Social Care Department of the Welsh Assembly Government are working hard with all partners including NHS Trusts and the Postgraduate Deanery to agree realistic principles that can be applied across Wales in our efforts to embrace this important challenge. Clinical and other leaders and the human resources profession will be vital in ensuring that we bring about change.  It is also important to engage our junior medical staff of today as they will be our clinical leaders of tomorrow.

I am sure that together we can meet this challenge.