asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the National Health Service staff holiday arrangements for Christmas and the New Year; and how this will affect patients requiring treatment during this period.
In 1974, the General Whitley Council for the Health Services (Great Britain) agreed that, in England, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day should normally be paid holidays for most NHS staff; and that two additional days public holiday should be given to the NHS to bring their total statutory and public holidays into line with those elsewhere in. the public sector. The agreement provides that two additional days should be designated locally by health authorities according to the needs of the service and after consulting with representatives of the staff concerned; they were not designated nationally since the intention, in part, was to admit locally recognised holidays.I understand that many health authorities have decided to add one or both of the additional days to the normal Christmas and New Year holiday period and it is for them to determine the level of services to patients over this period. Staff required to work on one or more of the holidays will receive pay and, if appropriate, time off in lieu, in accordance with their terms and conditions of service.