Letter: On target to cut doctors' hours

WE WERE saddened that an article on the typical day of an obstetric registrar at St Mary's Hospital should appear under the headline 'Doctors' hours scheme sabotaged' (24 January). While some units are failing to meet the April deadline for reducing junior doctors' hours, our department has made more than 'strenuous efforts' to meet the targets set by the Department of Health.

By March of this year, St Mary's Obstetric Department will meet the required reduction of working hours for all our juniors, not just for the April deadline but for the deadline set for 31 December 1994, 22 months early.

We feel that the message contained in your piece would have been more constructive if it had emphasised the good practice at our hospital in fully implementing the New Deal agreement.

John H Smith, C D H Wrede

and Andrew Evans

St Mary's Hospital, London W2