BMJ  2005;331:514 (3 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7515.514-b

Letter

Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation

European directive seems not to apply to doctors' hours in rest of European Union

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—The editorial by Murray et al on junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation had a predictably large response on bmj.com.1 2 One important point not made there is that in all the noise about the European Working Time Directive not much attention has been paid to how European doctors have coped.

Countries of the European Union have paid little or no attention to the directive's demands when it comes down to doctors' hours. In most countries they are still exempt. In Brussels I have friends still working the old style 24 hour shifts and coming in the next day to work. Some of them are still expected to cover the Saturday morning ward round when not on call. The result is that training is being preserved. Junior doctors in the UK are doing little but service provision.

John J Atkinson, senior house officer, neonatology

University College Hospital, London WC1E 6DH john.atkinson@uclh.nhs.uk

Compteting interests: JJA is a surgical trainee.

  1. Murray A, Pounder R, Mather H, Black C. Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation. BMJ 2005;330: 1404. (18 June.)[Free Full Text]
  2. Rapid responses. Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/330/7505/1404 (accessed 3 Aug 2005).

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Relevant Article

Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation
Alice Murray, Roy Pounder, Hugh Mather, and Carol Black
BMJ 2005 330: 1404. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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