§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the new pay and conditions package will encourage surgeons to increase the number of operations that they carry out for the NHS. [74955]
§ Mr. HuttonThe proposed new consultant contract is designed to provide a much more effective system of planning and time-tabling consultants' duties and responsibilities for the National Health Service in ways that best meet local service needs and priorities. Under the proposed arrangements, full-time consultants will typically devote at least seven out of a total of ten weekly programmed activities to direct clinical care. The new contract will also facilitate arranging extra consultant activity on a more planned and efficient basis.