UK hospitals alarmingly understaffed, says BMA

UK hospitals are suffering an “understaffing epidemic” following the introduction of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) last year, a survey of doctors has revealed.

A British Medical Association (BMA) survey of 1,500 junior doctors found that 40 per cent were working on understaffed rotas as a result of the EWTD, implemented in August 2009.