The Scottish Government has announced steps to reduce the pressures and long working hours experienced by junior doctors.
Health Secretary Alex Neil said that, while progress has been made, morehad to be done to ensure the right work life balance was in place in NHS Scotland.
In a letter to health boards the chief executive of NHS Scotland outlined that the following new initiatives arebeing taken forward:
• NHS boardswill end the practice of rostering junior doctors for seven full night shifts in a row by February 2015. Currently only 1% of rotas in Scotland schedule junior doctors to work seven full night shifts in a row.
• NHS boards will simplify the working hours monitoring process. Best practice guidance on this exists and NHS boards will ensure that they meet these requirements.
• NHS boards will review rotas with a view to reducing long stretches of days on duty. It is expected that by 2016 no junior doctor will work more than seven day shifts in a row.
• NHS boards will ensurethat all staff have access to appropriate rest facilities. Mr Neil said: “While 99% of rotas in NHS Scotland do not include a junior doctor working more than four nights in a row, we are committed to ensuring full, 100% compliance from health boards. We expect boards to observe not simply the letter, but also the spirit of the law.”
