Doctors' Hours — Congratulates the Government — 21 Apr 2004 at 15:44

The majority of MPs voted against the motion:^[1]

• This House
• notes the forthcoming implementation of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) in relation to junior hospital doctors;
• further notes the changes to General Practitioner out-of-hours services following the implementation of the new GP contract;
• is concerned by the British Medical Association's estimate that, from August 2004, the EWTD requirements could lose the NHS the equivalent of 3,700 junior doctors;
• is alarmed by the failure of Ministers to quantify adequately the likely demands of the EWTD in medical manpower and money costs;
• is further alarmed by the Government's complacency over the 'SIMAP/Jaeger' judgements made by the European Court of Justice and the disproportionate impact they will have on smaller hospitals;
• notes that cost estimates for GP out-of-hours cover are rising yet the extent of cover is likely to decline;
• deplores the failure by Ministers to anticipate the impact that the new GP contract will have on community hospitals and notes with alarm that several are already under threat; and
• wishes to see the implementation of out-of-hours cover in a form that maintains a GP-led service in which the high standards of care and accessibility traditionally associated with primary care in England are maintained.

In its place an alternative motion was proposed, which read:^[2]

• This House
• welcomes the overall aims of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) to ensure humane working hours for doctors in training;
• further welcomes the Government's lobbying of the European Commission and other EU Member States which has resulted in the Commission's giving assurances that they will bring forward legislative proposals on the EWTD before the summer;
• notes the dramatic reduction in the hours of doctors in training which means that 95 per cent. of them now work for 56 hours or fewer;
• congratulates the Government on the increases in workforce numbers and medical school places, which mean there are now almost 7,000 more consultants and 55,000 more nurses than there were in 1997, and that 6,030 students entered medical school in England in autumn 2003;
• welcomes the work being done in the National Health Service in implementing new ways of working that contribute to modernising and improving services and meeting the obligations of the Directive; and
• joins the Chairman of the BMA's General Practitioners Committee in welcoming the new GP contract as being 'better for patients and better for everyone working in general practice' and notes that it will allow primary care trusts to offer patients a safe, high quality service, with care delivered by the most appropriate professional, through better use of more joined-up services.

which passed without a further vote.

• [1] Andrew Lansley MP speech, House of Commons, 21 April 2004
• [2] John Hutton MP speech, House of Commons, 21 April 2004

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |