§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now issue instructions to family practitioners committees not to give permission for a general practitioner to use a commercial deputising service in cases where the service employs junior hospital doctors receiving overtime remuneration.
§ Mr. Ennals:Satisfactory progress is being made in discussions with the profession on the proposed code of practice 708W for deputising services referred to in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) on 27th July, and I expect to be able to publish the code shortly. Its aim is to ensure that all aspects of general practitioner deputising services are adequate and efficient and that satisfactory standards are maintained. In particular the code will provide, through the establishment of professional advisory committees, means of ensuring that the hours of duty for which doctors are employed by a deputising service are not excessive having regard to their other commitments—[Vol. 936, c. 276–7].