Mr. Paul Reid:

Regarding the pressures experienced by our junior doctors and front-line healthcare staff in emergency departments and across our acute hospitals in particular, we are very anxious to work with the trade unions. We continue to work with the trade unions on how to address, alleviate and mitigate some of the issues.

On junior doctors, Mr. Watt may want to comment but I understand the Minister will set up a working group to examine some of the issues and determine how we can jointly address some of the concerns raised.

On the European working time directive, we have local oversight in respect of breaches or where things needed to be put in place to mitigate them. We monitor and oversee these. There has been significant progress over recent years in this regard but I accept there are breaches.

To give some context, one does not have to go too far in the EU or UK, or elsewhere throughout the world, to see the long-term impacts being experienced this year owing to Covid. We are still experiencing these. Right now, we have 477 Covid-positive patients in hospital. We are still living with very real pressure on our healthcare system on top of the normal pressures we deal with.

Specifically on non-consultant hospital doctors, we are of course concerned about addressing the issues highlighted and committed to working jointly with them. Non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, do leave the country at various stages of their internship or postgraduate studies. We have done some early analysis and found the vast majority stay. A significant proportion of those who leave return after a short number of years. There are issues. People leave and return for different reasons, but we are anxious to address the concerns raised. I am not sure if Mr. Watt wants to make any comments.