Trusts are already developing solutions to directive

doi:10.1136/bmj.a1586

Published 10 September 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a1586
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a1586

Letters

European Working Time Directive

Trusts are already developing solutions to directive

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Widespread anxieties about the effects of the European WorkingTime Directive on service, safety, and training do not justifythe retrograde proposals suggested by Cairns et al.¹

Many trusts are developing solutions that will address all threeaspects simultaneously. The royal colleges are working collaborativelyto find solutions, and the Royal College of Surgeons of Englandrecently published its way forward.²

The directive presents new opportunities for doctors to developgeneric handover, leadership, and team working skills. Nationalworkforce projects led by Wendy Reid, clinical lead for Hospitalat Night, have contributed many solutions to be found on www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk.

As medical director, I lead on the directive and address theimpact of reduced hours in developing an effective Hospitalat Night team. Numerous educational opportunities occur at night.Escalation protocols to trigger senior opinions in all specialtiesavoid unnecessary full time shifts for senior trainees. In thepast, covering . . . [Full text of this article]

Alistair Flowerdew, medical director¹

¹ Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury SP2 8BJ

alistair.flowerdew@salisbury.nhs.uk

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