§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the average hours contracted for junior doctors in each EU country.
881W
§ Dr. MawhinneyThis information is not available.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the results of her new deal initiative for junior doctors.
§ Dr. MawhinneyWe receive regular reports on junior doctors' hours from regional task forces. Between September 1990 and September 1993 the number of junior doctors and dentists contracted for more than an average of 83 hours a week fell from over 13,300 to 91, a reduction of 99 per cent. This is a remarkable achievement. The remaining few posts are being tackled as a priority.
From August 1992 to September 1993 the number of those working in hard-pressed on-call posts contracted on average for between 73 and 83 hours a week fell from over 10,200 to 7,800, a 24 per cent. reduction. We announced in December last year that eliminating the remaining posts in this category is a priority in 1994.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that hospital trusts abide by her new deal for junior doctors.
§ Dr. MawhinneyOur regional task forces work very closely with trusts and authorities to monitor progress and support local action to reach the new deal targets. Task forces receive regular detailed reports from all units and, in turn, submit returns to the ministerial group on junior doctors' hours.
I and the chief executive of the national health service have also written respectively to chairmen and chief executives of trusts and authorities to re-affirm the Government's commitment to eliminating hard-pressed on-call posts contracted for more than 72 hours a week. This is a priority for 1994 and we have issued a detailed action plan to all regions, trusts and authorities.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to issue guidelines on minimum sleep for junior doctors within 24 hour and seven day periods.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe guidance on the new deal for junior doctors issued in June 1991, copies of which are available in the Library, advises that those working on on-call rotas should have a reasonable expectation of eight hours rest during a period of 32 hours on duty, principally within the on-call period. Where possible the greater part of this rest period should be continuous. For junior doctors working on partial shifts there should be a reasonable expectation of four hours rest during a duty period of 16 hours. Those on full shifts should also be allowed reasonable time for natural breaks during their working time. The implementation of this guidance forms part of our overall policy of reducing junior doctors' hours of work as part of the new deal. No further guidance is necessary.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors in each region are working more than 72 hours per week; and what plans she has to ensure that no doctor works more than 72 hours by her target date of 1 January 1995.
§ Dr. MawhinneyInformation on the number of hours worked by junior doctors is not available centrally. The number of junior doctors and dentists contracted for more than an average of 72 hours a week in England, by region, is:882W
Posts contracted for over 72 hours per week at 30 September 1993 (England) Region Number Northern 780 Yorkshire 1,381 Trent 550 East Anglian 517 North West Thames 729 North East Thames 1,229 South East Thames 762 South West Thames 801 Wessex 520 Oxford 532 South Western 327 West Midlands 925 Mersey 783 North Western 1,369 England 11,205 Notes
(i) Figures derived from the reports of the 14 English Regional Task Forces.
(ii) SHAs included in the figures for the Thames Regions.
Our priority is to eliminate all hard-pressed on-call posts contracted for an average of more than 72 hours a week by 31 December 1994. To this end I and the chief executive of the national health service have written respectively to chairmen and chief executives of trusts and authorities to re-affirm the Government's commitment to this target. Detailed guidance—EL(94)17—has also been sent to regions, authorities and trusts which provides a plan for action for the remainder of 1994. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.
We are also providing in 1994–95 an extra £11.6 million from central funds to create at least 125 new consultant posts and for local initiatives to help the new deal. This will bring the total number of new posts for senior doctors created to reduce hours since the new deal was launched in 1991 to 750.