§ Dr. IddonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on increasing the recruitment of doctors as specialists in intensive care units to allow them to work consecutive days in the week, as recommended in the Audit Commission's report, "Critical to Success". [100195]
§ Mr. DenhamWe are currently carrying out a national review of intensive care services, which will lead to the publication of national standards of care. The review will take account of the range of findings in the Audit Commission's report "Critical to Success", including their findings on the arrangement for medical staffing of intensive care units.
It will be for National Health Service trusts and health authorities, who are responsible for the quality of the services they provide, to determine the number, grade and mix of staff they will require to provide those services. Intensive care medicine became a separate specialty from anaesthetics in June this year. At national level we have been reviewing the numbers of higher specialist training opportunities in both specialties together. We are satisfied that currently, there are enough trainees entering intensive care medicine, for there to be sufficient qualifying for consultant posts over the next few years. We will be reviewing the position in intensive care medicine again next year.