§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the recommendations in the fourth report of the Social Services Committee, Session 1980–81 on medical education have been implemented; and at what cost.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergAs explained in the Government response to the fourth report from the Social Services Committee in the 1980–81 Session (Cmnd. 8479), primary responsibility for implementing a number of the Committee's recommendations is not the Government's, but the Government have pursued their implementation with the professional and other bodies responsible. A number of others related to fostering a trend which will take many years fully to accomplish. Some confirmed what was already Government policy. Where the recommendations related to responsibilities of health authorities, they have been drawn to the attention of authorities.
There is no basis as yet on which the costs to the NHS of implementing the Committee's proposals can be estimated, but the Department has asked health authorities to report their experience on the cost and service effects of changes in the career structure so that they may be given wide circulation to all those concerned in the service as a whole.