Clinical Leadership debate EWTD practical solutions

Distributed: 18th May 2009

Clinical leaders, members of the medical Royal Colleges and junior doctors attended a European Working Time Directive conference in London last week to discuss practical solutions which can help trusts with implementation ahead of the 1st August deadline.

Skills for Health - Workforce Projects Team supported by the BMA and NHS London, hosted the Clinical leadership in the delivery of the EWTD Conference 2009 on Friday 15th May.

The conference saw key speakers and NHS experts deliver vital information to delegates on how they can best tackle the many challenges faced in achieving compliance.

Tim Lund, EWTD national programme lead at Workforce Projects Team said: "The conference has been a great success and demonstrates excellent clinical leadership in delivering key workforce projects."

Delegates made full use of the array of valuable resources available at the conference including Workforce Projects Team’s information and resource documents: Compendium of Solutions for Implementing the EWTD for Doctors in Training, and Signposting European Working Time Directive.

Delegate, Omar Najim, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, said: "Skills for Health – Workforce Projects Team has delivered a comprehensive and enlightening event. The combination of educational workshops and informative presentations from key healthcare sector figures will, I am in no doubt, have equipped all delegates with usable solutions that they can integrate into their trusts."

The full suite of resources from the conference is available on the healthcare workforce portal www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk along with speaker presentations.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Skills for Health - Workforce Projects Team supports NHS organisations achieve their workforce objectives and find solutions to the challenges that may prevent them from having the right people in the right healthcare roles in the future. The Workforce Projects Team is the lead organisation helping support the NHS in finding and implementing the solutions to the Working Time Directive 2009. In 2009 the maximum number of hours that junior medical staff in the NHS work will be reduced from 56 to 48 hours under European law. This is a major challenge for the health service and will require new ways of working to be adopted.
2. The conference took place on Friday, 15 May, at the America Square Conference Centre, London.

For more information contact:

Skills for Health – Workforce Projects Team. Telephone: 0161 266 2365 Email: workforceprojectsteam@skillsforhealth.org.uk