Hospital emergency departments could be forced to close when a European working time directive comes into force, ministers have been warned.

In a survey of 211 English hospitals by the Royal College of Physicians, more than 40 warned that they would struggle if the restrictions on working hours were already in place.

From August 2004, junior doctors in training will be permitted to work a maximum 58-hour week, compared to the current limit of 72 hours.

Of those polled, 22 per cent they could cope with current staffing levels, while others said they would require two or three additional doctors to cope.

The president of the RCP, Professor Carol Black, was set to highlight the issue during a meeting with health minister John Hutton.

"We want to be sure that patients are safe and we also want to be sure that the doctors have a way of life that is a reasonable way of life," she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

But the Department of Health refuted the survey's findings.

"We do not accept that achieving WTD compliance by itself will lead to the closure of any A and E departments," said a spokesman.

"The RCP survey was based on the assumption that it takes 10 middle-grade doctors to staff a full-shift rota, which we do not accept.

"Different working patterns by other professional groups and/or consultants doing sessions into the evening provides scope to plan services differently. Work done at a number of sites has shown this can work.

"This survey takes no account of other staff groups and their working patterns, which might mean there is no need for a full shift rota of 10 middle-grade doctors, so throwing serious doubt over fears that these acute hospitals will be at risk."

But the Liberal Democrats accused the government of complacency.

"Patients deserve effective collaboration between doctors and government so that hospital departments aren't closed and doctors aren't constantly overtired," said health spokesman Dr Evan Harris.

"The government has been grossly complacent on this issue. The failure of successive governments to expand the number of consultants and trainees has led to British doctors being short-staffed, under-trained, under-supervised and overworked.

"The working time directive will cause problems in many acute hospital departments because of the shortage of staff.

"But doctors must work together with the government to make the necessary changes work. Knee-jerk opposition to changing working practices, and the failure of hospital authorities to learn from effective change elsewhere, will only make matters worse for them and for patients."