To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional doctors have been recruited since 2004 to enable compliance with the requirements of the European Working Time Directive; and how many he estimates will be so required from August 2009. (283212)

The number of additional doctors needed to comply with European working time directive (EWTD) is not collected centrally. It is for trusts to determine how many doctors they require to deliver services within an EWTD compliant working environment.

Since 2004 the number of doctors working in the national health service has increased by 16,119 (+13.8 per cent.). This figure excludes general practitioner retainers.