On-call duties are work hours, say frontline staff

Questions over whether a doctor's on-call duties should be regarded as working hours are expected to trigger heated debate in court.

Yau Fong-chi, chairman of the Frontline Doctors' Association, said there were no guidelines on doctors' work hours and on-call duties.

'Different departments have their own practices. How much rest you get depends on your boss. Some department heads give staff a half-day off after being on-call but some don't.

'Peer pressure also forces many doctors to work long hours. It seems that working long hours has become the norm in Hong Kong, but it is not right, we need a change.'

Dr Yau said that in some busy departments, doctors who had finished a 12-hour shift from 7am to 7pm were required to be on call until 9am the next day.

'Then, it will be another shift from 9am to 7pm, it means 36 hours work in total,' he said.