§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what change in the required number of NHS consultants would result if they were to work only contracted hours; [14041]
(2) what assessment he has made of the hours in excess of contracted hours worked by NHS consultants in the last five years. [14050]
§ Mr. HuttonNational health service consultants are employed under a professional contract, in that they do not specify particular hours of work. Whole-time and maximum part-time contract holders have a contractual commitment to devote substantially the whole of their professional time, up to 11 sessions, to their national health service duties. In 1999 a survey by KPMG did, however, demonstrate that both the volume of work and intensity of work, as a whole, had increased since 1990. Intensity pay supplements, amounting to £50 million were therefore introduced from April 2000 to recognise and reward increases in work load, intensity of work and contribution to the NHS.
§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the change in work load for NHS consultants as a result of the Calman report and the new deal. [14051]
§ Mr. HuttonIt is not possible to identify the effect of individual initiatives on changes in consultant work load. As well as implementation of the Calman report and the new deal, there have been parallel changes in service management and patient throughput, and changes in the balance of in-patient and day-case clinical work which will have had an effect on consultant work load.
Since the new deal was launched in 1991 there has been an increase in the consultant work force of 7,200 (45.5 per cent.) and since the Calman reforms were implemented in 1996 there has been an increase of 3,800 (19.9 per cent.). There have also been significant increases in the number of trainees and other hospital doctors in the relevant period.