Junior doctors still overworked

Up to 4,000 junior doctors are still working more than 83 hours a week nine months after a government-agreed deadline to cut their hours, according to a survey by the British Medical Association's junior doctors committee.

Dr Brian Mawhinney, Minister for Health, said last month that only 91 posts were now contracted for more than 83 hours a week. But Dr Edwin Borman, the committee chairman, said yesterday that government figures did not include hours doctors were expected to work outside their contracts.