Junior doctors are threatening to strike if the government does not move to reduce their working hours. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) have launched a new campaign - 24 No More - in a bid to reduce the length of time they spend on the wards.

They are balloting over 2,000 junior doctors from August 8th with a view to starting their action once it is completed.

The IMO has also announced that as part of this campaign it will ballot NCHD members in August to step up the campaign to include taking industrial action.

The body says it seeks to highlight how Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) are regularly forced to work shifts of more than 24 hours at a time. This is despite the fact that they say it is in breach of their contracts and in breach of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD).

The IMO says Ireland and Greece are the only EU countries that have not fully implemented the EU Working Time Directive. This directive limits the working week of NCHDs to a maximum of 48 hours and prohibits the practice of NCHDs working 36-hour continuous shifts.

Dr. John Donnellan says the hours they are working is having an impact on the care they are giving to their patients.