Firstly can I take this opportunity to wish you a very happy and successful New Year.
The 1st August 2009 deadline may seem like a distant memory, however, the team here at Skills for Health - Workforce Projects Team (WPT) and colleagues across the NHS continue to work hard to ensure the EWTD achievements of last year are sustainable. We continue to work closely with many services across the country, including the small number of trusts that requested further time and assistance with their implementation programmes.
I would like express how immensely proud we are of our pilot site partners; many of whom overcame numerous challenges when implementing EWTD compliant solutions. In recognition of this excellent work we have presented a select few teams with outstanding achievement awards for their significant contributions and generosity in sharing their learning. Pages 4, 5 and 6 will give an overview of all recipients, including national and regional NHS leaders.
On page 9 there is an overview of a number of international visits to our London office in autumn last year. We took great pleasure in welcoming counterparts from Hong Kong and Malaysia whose teams were on fact finding visits to the UK, looking to take workforce planning practices used across the NHS back to their own countries.
Hospital at Night and Workforce Planning were on the agenda once again last month when we welcomed a delegation of Dutch social partners and NHS leaders to London. Our growing international links are something that we will continue to develop and we will keep you informed of future visits via our portal: www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/wtd
Before I sign off I would like to thank those of you who took part in the Calling Time survey. This will be the last issue of Calling Time and the information gathered has enabled us to evaluate the benefits of the publication, giving us an opportunity to look at the future and whether we continue to publish a magazine to relay wider workforce planning information to you. See more on page 7.
Thank you once again for your support over 2009 and we hope to be of assistance to you and your organisation in 2010.
Working Time Directive 2009 
