NCHDs have to reduce their average working time to no more than 58 hours per week on the hospital site by 1 August 2004, to 56 hours by 1 August 2007 and to 48 hours by 1 August 2009. It is interesting that of the 15 EU member states, to date, ten appear to be compliant. Apart from Ireland, four other states – Belgium, France, Germany and the UK – have various measures to implement before they will be fully compliant. It is also worth noting that other countries train their doctors in a shorter working week. Examples of this include Denmark, the Netherlands and Finland. In Finland, doctors in training have, since 1996, worked a standard 40 hours per week. What does this mean?