The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has begun balloting junior doctors on industrial action over the ‘dangerously long' hours many of them are working.

According to the IMO, this marks an escalation of its '24 No More' campaign, which aims to stop the HSE from routinely making non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) work more than 24 hours at a time.

Such shifts are in breach of the EU Working Time Directive (EWTD) and employment contracts negotiated with the HSE by the IMO.

The EWTD specifies that an NCHD must not work more than 48 hours in one week. It also prohibits the practice of NCHDs working 36-hour continuous shifts, something that is ‘widespread in Ireland' according to the IMO.

Commenting on this issue, IMO assistant director of industrial relations, Eric Young, said that the Irish health service is now at ‘crisis point'.

"This circle of illegal and dangerous working hours has to be broken. It is not acceptable that the HSE continues to blatantly breach the law of the land and to think that they can do so with impunity. The HSE and the Government have talked for years about fixing this appalling situation, but it is clear that they will only do it if they are forced to," he insisted.

Mr Young emphasised that the safety of both patients and the NCHDs themselves is being put at risk by these working hours, with many doctors opting to emigrate rather than continue working here.

"The Government must stop breaking Irish and EU law and put an end to doctors working shifts in excess of 24 hours in Irish hospitals. Ireland deserves better than a broken system staffed by doctors who are being forced into dangerously long working hours. Patients deserve better than this and our NCHDs deserve better than this," Mr Young said.

The IMO noted that Ireland must comply with EU law on the working hours of NCHDs. However its failure to do so means that ‘the Irish taxpayer is facing fines from the EU'. This is despite the fact that the HSE has been aware of its legal obligations for the last four years.

Currently, Ireland and Greece are the only two countries in the EU to fail to fully implement the EWTD.

"The IMO has consistently engaged with the HSE to make adequate arrangements to comply with the EWTD. We have explored every possible option, including High Court cases, LRC discussions and intensive engagement with the European Commission.

"Sadly we have reached a point where any progress will only be made if our members take effective industrial action," Mr Young added.