HL Deb 14 April 1993 vol 544 cc82-4WA
Baroness Jeger

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made in the reduction of working hours for junior doctors.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)

In August 1992, the latest date for which full returns are available, there were 3,234 junior hospital doctors and dentists in England contracted for more than a maximum average of 83 hours a week. In Wales, the corresponding figure is 144.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland figures are available to September 1992. They show, respectively, 452 and 107 junior hospital doctors and dentists contracted for more than 83 hours a week.

NHS hospital and community health service medical, administrative and clerical staff of DHAs wholly or partly in Norfolk (Whole-time Equivalents)
1983 1985 1990 Per cent, change
1983–85 1985–90
(a) Medical staff
District Health Authorities Norwich 180 190 190 2.09 1.67
Great Yarmouth 70 70 80 -0.30 12.91
West Norfolk and Wisbech 60 70 70 70.1 -0.75
TOTAL 310 320 330 2.57 3.51
(b) Administrative and clerical staff
District Health Authorities Norwich 850 770 770 -9.67 0.12
Great Yarmouth 330 340 360 4.15 4.92
West Norfolk and Wisbech 280 290 320 4.51 7.86
TOTAL 1,460 1,400 1,450 -3.82 2.91

Notes:

1. Since consultant and senior register contracts are retained at a regional level, data on these grades are not included in the above district figures.

2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.

3. Percentages are calculated on unrounded numbers.

Lord Judd

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of the health budget in each of the Norfolk health authorities was spent (a) on medical staff, and (b) on administrative staff in 1979; 1985; and 1992.

Baroness Cumberlege

The information available centrally is given in the table.

Norwich DHA Great Yarmouth and Waveney DHA West Norfolk and Wisbech DHA
£ £ £
1985–86
Medical staff 7,408,900 3,144,492 2,886,743
Administration and clerical staff 5,443,792 2,399,824 2,016,856
Total revenue expenditure 86,542,763 30,044,036 25,167,603
1991–92
Medical staff 13,797,125 4,959,578 5,281,473

We set a target of 1st April this year for the elimination of these posts. We expect to receive full accounts of progress from task forces and implementation groups shortly.