New steps to facilitate NHS training and flexible working outlined

The government has announced new steps it will be taking to ensure NHS doctors have greater flexibility in terms of training and working hours in future.

Responding to an independent review of the impact and implementation of the European Working Time Directive on the NHS and health professionals, the Department of Health has outlined measures to support doctors who want to access more training opportunities.

Efforts will be made to identify training time that is not working time, allowing it to be excepted from the maximum 48 hours per week average over a six-month period mandated by the European laws.

Additionally, more will be done to raise awareness of the ability to voluntarily opt out of the guidelines, with working patterns and rotas to be reviewed across the sector.

Secretary of state for health Jeremy Hunt said: "We will never go back to the past with tired doctors working long hours, but it is clear that the directive does have a negative impact on the training of doctors in some specialities."

The British Medical Association said any changes the government wishes to make need to acknowledge the key role the European legislation has had in bringing doctors' hours down to safe levels.