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NHS: Working Hours

Volume 459: debated on Monday 30 April 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her statement of 10 January 2007, Official Report, columns 314-15, which problems in the NHS arise from the previous Government's negotiation of the European working time directive; and how they differ from the additional problems driven by the impact of the SiMAP and Jaeger judgments. (118243)

More engagement in the working time directive negotiations from the outset would have most likely resulted in a better directive and safeguards against legal challenges such as SiMAP and Jaeger.

The retention of the opt-out and a solution to the problems caused by the SiMAP and Jaeger judgments still remain priorities for the United Kingdom, and together with many member states we continue to seek changes to the European working time directive to address the difficulties from these judgments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007, Official Report, column 1141W, on NHS: working hours, what indicators of NHS readiness for fully implementing the 48-hour week for doctors in training her Department monitors; and if she will publish the results of such monitoring for the latest period for which figures are available. (131880)

The New Deal contract monitoring returns give an indication of national health service readiness for fully implementing the 48-hour week for doctors in training. Monitoring information is published on the NHS Employers website at: www.nhsemployers.org

The progress of the NHS working time directive pilots programme and research by the medical Royal Colleges also provides useful workforce information to support working time directive implementation.