Surgeons 'work more than contracted hours'

The Royal College of Surgeons said nearly three quarter of specialists polled in the first national survey of their working practices found they worked longer than the 48-hour European working time limit.

It raised concerns that 70 per cent also carried out planned elective operations while they were on call for emergency work.

Nearly nine in 10 surgeons worked on call at weekends and evenings to provide 24-hour care for the NHS. The college said this compared favourably with other professions in hospital which struggled to fill rotas for out-of-hours cover.

College president John Black said: "This survey demonstrates the high level of commitment to patients that exists in surgery.

"Our members routinely work far beyond what they are formally contracted to and patients should be reassured to learn that experienced consultant surgeons are routinely on call at night and at weekends if needed.

"It is a matter of concern that so many surgeons are being expected to undertake elective operations while on call – other studies have shown this leads to delays in them getting to emergencies as they cannot be in two places at once."

The report confirmed that surgery remains largely male dominated. More than half of medical students are now women but only seven per cent of consultant surgeons are female. Fewer than one in 20 orthopaedic surgeons are women, rising to one in five paediatric surgeons.