RCP president Sir Richard Thompson welcomed today’s response by the Department of Health on the report by the Independent Working Time Regulations Taskforce:
The RCP welcomes the Department of Health decision to accept the recommendations, presented in April, by the Independent Working Time Regulations Taskforce. As noted on its publication, the report’s recommendations were a clear step forward in improving the training opportunities and working lives of junior doctors.
It is particularly welcome that the recommendations of support for opting out of the 48 hour limit, as well as protected education and training time for junior doctors will be looked at in future. Our own RCP surveys show that junior doctors are dissatisfied with their training, including the continuity of care, which is often fragmented due to the restrictions placed on them by the European Working Time Regulations and the New Deal contract.
For more information, please contact Morgan Evans, RCP communications and new media adviser, on 020 3075 1468 / 0779 508 8253, or email Morgan.Evans@rcplondon.ac.uk