Guardian of Safe Working Hours (GOSW)

The Guardian of Safe Working Hours for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is Dr Avinash Kapoor, Consultant Anaesthetist.

Dr Avinash Kapoor, Consultant Anaesthetist

Message from Dr Avinash Kapoor;

I am responsible for protecting the safeguards outlined in the 2016 Terms and Conditions for doctors in training. As Guardian, I will work with trainees to address compliance of safe working hours, as they arise, and provide assurances to the Trust board that junior doctors are safely rostered and are working safe hours.

I will:

• Act as the champion of safe working hours
• Receive your exception reports and record and monitor compliance against your terms and conditions.
• Intervene to reduce any identified risks to you or your patients' safety.
• Undertake a work schedule review where there are regular or persistent breaches in safe working hours
• Distribute monies received as a consequence of financial penalties, to improve your training and service experience.

Junior doctors also have a personal responsibility to ensure they are fit and safe to work and do not work excessive hours outside their main employment.

See Dr. Avinash Kapoors introduction video Here

I also need your help to participate in a Junior Doctor Forum that will help oversee and monitor compliance with safe working hours and in addition help provide valuable insights and advice on how we can change and shape junior doctor's rotas. For further information on the forum, please contact cdda-tr.MedEdpostgradtraining@nhs.net

If you would like to discuss any issues around working hours I am happy to be contacted by email- cdda-tr.GuardianSafeworking@nhs.net

Quality Rota Team

The Medical Education Quality Rota Team consists of Lydia Mein and Rosie Rouell and they can be contacted via email at: cddft.med-edqualityandcompliance@nhs.net

The team are available to help with all of your queries in relation to your rota template, exception reporting and the Junior Doctor contract.

Useful Information

Rota Rules

V11 NHS Doctor And Dentist in Training T&C

BMA Code of Practice

Pay and conditions Circular MD 3/2021

Link to Employee Online

Exception Reporting

Exception reporting is a key protection under the 2016 contract allowing live reporting when your work varies from your work schedule.

The Terms and Conditions define exception reporting as:

"The mechanism used by doctors to inform the employer when their day-to-day work varies significantly and/or regularly from the agreed work schedule" T&C 2016

Reports should be submitted within the timescales mandated in the contract:

• 14 days as standard
• 7 days if payment is requested
• 24 hours where there are immediate safety concerns (plus verbally immediately)
• Rest between shifts reduced to less than 11 hours - time in lieu to be taken within 24 hours