A mathematical specification of the New Deal on junior doctors' hours.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective is to make the New Deal on junior doctors' hours sufficiently precise that the definitions may be used as a basis for computer software that checks the compliance of rotas or that automatically generates compliant rotas.


METHODS
We formalize the clauses of the New Deal, as relevant to 'full shifts', using the Z specification language.


RESULTS
The mathematical definitions are simple and concise.


CONCLUSIONS
Mathematical specification is a useful way to express constraints on rotas unambiguously.
Todd
B S
BS
Accident and Emergency Department, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. Bryan.Todd@orh.nhs.uk
D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000600:supply & distribution; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009323:Natural Language Processing; D010562:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013222:State Medicine; D017748:Time Management; D006113:United Kingdom; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*