Dr Aidan Coffey was speaking after the Irish Medical Organisation held an emergency meeting earlier this week where it was decided to hold a ballot for industrial action due to what they have described as 'flagrant contractual breaches' by the HSE.
Non-consultant hospital doctors will be balloted over the next four weeks, with options including a work-to-rule or strike action on the table.
Speaking to RedFM News, IMO NCHD committee member Dr Aidan Coffey outlines the results of a survey taken by junior doctors:
"We found that 97% of NCHD's report experiencing depression, anxiety, stress or exhaustion. 90% of us are reporting presenteeism; so being at work when we're just really not in a fit condition to be there. And I suppose the sad statistic is that four out of five NCHD's are reporting dissatisfaction with their work life balance, and a large factor of this is down to these persistent contractual breaches."
