HC Deb 05 November 2002 vol 392 cc279-80W
Mr. Norman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1)what assessment he has made of the impact on medical staffing rotas of extending the Working Time Directive to junior doctors; and if he will make a statement. [77504]

(2) what pilot studies are being undertaken in NHS hospitals to demonstrate innovative ways of complying with the requirements of the Working Time Directive. [77506]

Mr. Hutton

From August 2004, junior doctors will come within the remit of the European Working Time Directive. The key aspect is that junior doctors must have 11 hours rest in every 24 hours.

It will not be possible for the National Health Service to achieve European Working Time Directive compliance by applying a single "one size fits all" model across the whole country. Instead, compliance will be achieved with a portfolio of action at local and national level.

Individual NHS trusts will need to look critically at working patterns and whether it is necessary for doctors to be resident. Where the intensity of calls requires resident cover, it will generally be necessary to move to new patterns of working such as shifts or partial shifts.

The Department will be issuing guidance on implementation this Autumn and is working with stakeholders including the medical Royal Colleges, British Medical Association, NHS Confederation and the service to ensure that effective solutions are developed.

The Department is therefore funding a programme of pilot projects based in NHS trusts to develop and test innovative solutions to European Working Time Directive implementation. We are funding about 20 pilot studies in individual NHS trusts and groups of NHS trusts on innovative ways of delivering services while complying with the requirements of the post-2004 Working Time Directive legislation. The individual pilots will cover areas such as night teams, health care practitioners, nurse practitioners and whole systems service redesign.

Full details of the pilot programme will be announced shortly and will be available on the Department's website www.doh.qov.uk/workinqtime/.