The changing role of the otolaryngology Senior House Officer

2006 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
AK Arya ◽  
KP Gibbin
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Junior Doctor ◽  
House Officer ◽  
European Working Time Directive ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Senior House Officer ◽  
European Working ◽  
Working Time Directive ◽  
Changing Role

The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) has led to a reduction in the number of hours that a junior doctor is allowed to work. The Hospital at Night project aims to reduce juniors' presence at night through more efficient working. Otolaryngology has been considered to be one of the surgical specialties in which generic junior doctors covering more than one specialty could effectively function. The hope is to reduce junior doctors' hours sufficiently without compromising their training or patient safety.

scholarly journals The EWTD: friend or foe to quality patient care?

2006 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 318-319
Author(s):  
MBS Brewster ◽  
R Potter ◽  
D Power ◽  
V Rajaratnam ◽  
PB Pynsent
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Junior Doctor ◽  
European Working Time Directive ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Out Of Hours ◽  
Quality Patient Care ◽  
European Working ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Working Time Directive

For the last few years all the hospitals in the UK have been changing junior doctors' rotas to become compliant with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). The first stage, requiring a junior doctor to work a maximum of 58 hours per week averaged over a 6-month period, became law in August 2004. In addition to new posts for junior doctors there have been schemes to facilitate the transition, such as the Hospital at Night programme. This was designed to use the minimum safe number of doctors from appropriate specialties with supporting medical staff to cover the hospital out of hours. It was required to make the most efficient use of this team and allow the junior doctor rotas to be compliant with the appointment of as few new posts as possible.

scholarly journals EWTD: maintaining the pressure

2009 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 258-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Black
Keyword(s):  
Medical Association ◽  
Working Time ◽  
European Working Time Directive ◽  
News Item ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
European Working ◽  
Working Time Directive ◽  
First Time ◽  
Radio Programme

The ill-judged introduction of the 48-hour week demanded by the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) was the first news item on every television and radio programme on Saturday 1 August, indicating just how successful the College has been in raising public concern. It was encouraging that the British Medical Association (BMA) speakers were for the first time expressing serious anxiety, largely about the effects on training and about pressure being put on junior doctors to falsify their hours returns. All conversions to the cause are welcome, however late in the day. It is disappointing that the BMA is not yet stressing the dangers to patients, which they are surely hearing about from their members working in the acute specialties.

Out-of-hours cover in oral and maxillofacial surgery

2008 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 282-283
Author(s):  
G Reddy-Kolanu ◽  
M Ethunandan ◽  
R Anand ◽  
V Ilankovan
Keyword(s):  
Medical Staff ◽  
Maxillofacial Surgery ◽  
Working Time ◽  
European Working Time Directive ◽  
Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Out Of Hours ◽  
Dental Pathology ◽  
European Working ◽  
Working Time Directive

The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) has required all departments to re think staffing arrangements to provide out-of-hours ser vices. Large departments with man y junior doctors can continue to have oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) SHOs covering the out-of-hours ser vice without exceeding the constraints of EWTD. For smaller departments the choice has been either to close the on-call service and centralise it in a larger department or to have a specialty cross-cover arrangement. The problems of cross-cover might be more apparent in OMFS than in other hospital specialties due to other medical staff possessing a negligible knowledge of dental pathology.

scholarly journals Impact of the European Working Time Directive on trainees and trainers 3 years post-implementation

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 286-289
Author(s):  
Farshad Shaddel ◽  
Subimal Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Working Time ◽  
European Working Time Directive ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
European Working ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Working Time Directive ◽  
The Impact

Aims and methodTo assess the views of trainees and trainers of the impact of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). The study was conducted in two stages. First, a qualitative survey of trainees and trainers in the Oxford Deanery was carried out on the positive and negative aspects of the EWTD to identify key areas. Second, a self-completed questionnaire was developed separately for trainees and trainers and the results collated. Twenty trainers and nineteen trainees took part in the study.ResultsAbout 70% of trainees and trainers were aware of the EWTD objectives. Ninety per cent of trainers and 30% of trainees believed that the introduction of the EWTD was a negative development. Compared with 42% of trainees, 80% of trainers believed that the EWTD had not improved the quality of care and instead had a negative effect on doctor–patient alliance and continuity of care. Although 53% of trainees believed that the quality of training was not compromised by the introduction of the EWTD, 84% of trainers thought otherwise. Less hands-on experience and some doctors' roles being given to other professionals were the most stated negative impacts of the EWTD on the quality of doctors' training. Positive effects of the EWTD from both trainees' and trainers' points of view were a better work-life balance and less burnout for junior doctors.Clinical implicationsThe EWTD may not have been successful in achieving all of its intended objectives. Further studies on different sample groups would help clarify the wider impact of the EWTD.

scholarly journals Perceived impact of EWTD on UK doctors

2009 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 132-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryckie G Wade ◽  
James Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Working Time ◽  
European Working Time Directive ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
European Working ◽  
Perceived Impact ◽  
Working Time Directive ◽  
A Current

Doctors have historically worked long hours to provide patient care but also to gain experience. Over the last decade, working hours have decreased significantly, and the introduction of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) has formalised this. In August 2009, junior doctors (but not consultants) will be limited to a 48-hour working week (see http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Huma nresourcesandtraining/Modernisingworkforceplanninghome/Europeanworkingtimedirective/index.htm). There are concerns at all levels of the profession that doctors will not be adequately trained to function at the standard of a current NHS consultant. Doctors with the least experience make the most errors and familiarity with situations and equipment is directly related to competency.

EWTD 2009 – meeting the challenge in surgery

2008 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 80-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Horrocks ◽  
Jo Cripps
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Safety Training ◽  
Working Time ◽  
European Working Time Directive ◽  
Surgical Services ◽  
Team Working ◽  
European Working ◽  
Working Time Directive ◽  
And Training

With 17 months to go before the August 2009 European Working Time Directive (EWTD) deadline, work must begin now to give trainers and trainees time to test potential solutions and work out the best method of achieving compliance while protecting patient safety, training and service delivery. Team working is essential, not just among surgeons – all those involved in commissioning, planning, managing and delivering surgical services and training will need to work together.

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