HC Deb 27 January 2004 vol 417 c338W
Tony Baldry

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the value is of bids that have been submitted by NHS hospital trusts for extra resources to respond to the EU Working Time Directive; [149340]

(2) what request in respect of the EU Working Time Directive he has received from the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust for (a) extra medical staff and (b) extra resources. [149342]

Mr. Hutton

This information is not held centrally. Local delivery plans and financing of these plans is a matter for strategic health authorities and local trusts, including planning for implementation of the Working Time Directive for doctors in training.

Tony Baldry

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the action being taken by the Government to help smaller general hospitals respond to the EU Working Time Directive. [149343]

Mr. Hutton

A substantial programme of work is currently under way within the national health service to support implementation of the Working Time Directive (WTD). This includes 20 national WTD pilot sites and innovative work locally as part of a larger programme of modernisation and improvement to services.

Strategic health authorities are currently working with their respective trusts locally on plans to achieve compliance for doctors in training from August 2004.