§ Sir David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of junior hospital doctors are currently working more than 72 hours a week; and what 112W progress he has made in reducing the hours worked by junior hospital doctors, as recommended by the Social Services Committee in its report in July 1981.
§ Mr. NewtonThis information is not available in the form requested.
On 30 September 1986, 81 per cent. of junior hospital doctors and dentists in England and Wales were contracted for more than 72 hours a week. Encouraging progress has been made in reducing juniors' hours since 1981. We have banned rotas requiring a junior to be on duty, on average, more than one night and weekend in two, and we have asked health authorities to aim for a target maximum commitment of one in three—broadly equivalent to 84 contracted hours—or better. Between 1982 and 1985 we estimate that the number of posts in England with rotas more onerous than one in three fell or was planned to fall from 5,000 to 3,500, representing 18.4 per cent. of all the posts concerned. Recent indications are that there may still be a number of practitioners with excessive rota commitments, and we are currently seeking details of each case. Overall, contracted hours have continued to fall, from 88.9 in 1980 to 85.7 in 1986. These figures denote hours of availability rather than work; but independent surveys commissioned by the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration indicate that average hours of work have also fallen, from 58.3 in 1981 to 57 in 1985.