Dr. John-Paul Byrne:

Most of our approach is based on qualitative research, so I can avoid the averages and talk about the extremes, which can range from 60 to 100 hours a week. During our study, doctors were texting us on their 18th hour working on a Saturday, having worked 15 hours per day that week. The level of hours is incredible. This is an extreme example but in one case a number of doctors left a team due to Covid or having to isolate and one doctor was left doing a one in three call rota for two weeks, which means a 24-hour call every third day. Those hours are incredible. When it comes to the hours, it is not just a matter of the length of the work day but, as has been discussed, the intensity of work when the doctors are in there. This means that, when they leave work, they have no time to do anything other than rest, recuperate, eat and sleep. That is all they have time to do.

On another point that came up in our research, we did a survey in 2019 and 83% of respondents agreed that they often or always worked beyond their rostered hours. Most of-----