§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of junior doctors in the Scottish national health service were working, on average, more than 70 hours weekly, for each year since 1980.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythInformation on the hours worked by junior doctors is not collected centrally, but just over 82 per cent. of junior doctors were contracted to work more than 70 hours weekly at 30 September 1989–1989 is the first year for which such information is available centrally.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan,Official Report, 16 October, column 805, if he will list all steps taken to improve the working arrangements for junior doctors in Scotland and especially their working hours arrangements.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythIn 1983 regular rotas more onerous than one night and one weekend on duty in two were banned. In 1985 guidance was issued to health boards on arrangements designed to minimise the occasions when doctors in hard-pressed specialties were required to work rotas more onerous than one in two when covering for absent colleagues. In 1989 we introduced measures aimed at eliminating rotas more onerous than one night and one weekend in three.
A working party, set up by my hon. Friend the Minister for Health, is currently considering at national level how further improvements in junior doctors' working arrangements may be achieved. We are represented on that working party. Meantime we have asked boards to keep all onerous rotas under continuous review and to eliminate them as soon as circumstances permit.
327WWhile still continuing to work towards eliminating onerous rotas, in 1988 and again in 1989 the Government accepted the recommendation of the doctors' and dentists' review body to pay enhanced rates to junior doctors working long hours.