Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of introducing a seven-day NHS on staff working hours.

The Government is committed to introducing a truly seven day National Health Service so that the quality of care received by patients is the same every day of the week.

We are working closely with NHS England and other NHS bodies to implement this. How these changes are implemented will depend on local priorities and needs.

We are not expecting NHS staff to work longer hours although there may need to be changes in when those hours are worked. Staff working hours must remain safe and legal.

The independent pay review bodies were asked by the last Government to advise on the implications for staff contracts of implementing seven day services. They will report this summer and we will consider their observations carefully.