A European Union squeeze on doctors' working hours has left many medics skipping essential basic training, according to medical chiefs.
A survey carried out by the British Medical Association found that more than half of junior doctors have missed a basic training session as a result of the new legislation.
The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) was introduced in August 2009, limiting medical staff to a maximum of 48 working hours in a week.
As a result many doctors have already been committed to spending their weekly allowance with patients, and are legally prevented from attending the course in addition.
The BMA have expressed fears that the NHS depends to heavily on junior doctors, who are missing out on opportunities to learn essential new skills.
The NHS is dependant on junior doctors to provide much of the medical care in hospitals, however they also need structured time to learn new skills.
The BMA survey, which questioned more than 1500 junior medics explored the impact of the EWTD on the development of doctors.
Of the doctors questioned, nearly three-quarters had been unable to attend lectures and training days and six in ten had missed out on opportunities to complete new procedures.
Dr Shree Datta, Chair of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee accused the legislation of "damaging" the quality of patient care.
She said: "The current system is jeopardising the quality of training given to junior doctors, a development that will inevitably result in poorer quality patient care.
"We cannot afford to damage the future of the NHS by compromising on the training of tomorrow’s consultants and GPs.
"Hospitals must devise ways to providing structured training alongside the delivery of patient care. They need to work with their junior doctors to devise rotas that meet the needs of the patients but also the training requirements of juniors.
"We must to cut out unnecessary bureaucracy and inappropriate work to allow junior doctors get the training they need."
The survey also found that despite the legal limit of forty-eight hours per week, half of junior doctors are still working more than 56 hours each week, and one in three admitted to working more than 65 hours.
More than half of juniors surveyed said they were under pressure to work additional hours that are not recorded.
Dr Datta added: "The government would have us believe that the 48-hour week has been successfully implemented in UK hospitals.
"Our survey reveals that compliance has only been achieved by pressurising junior doctors into working off the clock."
Gawain Towler, London around 5 months ago