I propose to take Questions Nos. 142, 143, 144, 145, 148 and 149 together.
The medical manpower forum is a major initiative to review medical staffing structures in public hospitals. Among the issues being examined are the provision of the highest quality of medical care to patients; addressing the imbalance in hospitals between career posts and training posts; addressing the gender imbalance at consultant level; the need to improve postgraduate medical training; and the provision of greater career opportunities for non-consultant hospital doctors.
As part of the consultative process, these items have featured in discussions with the medical organisations together with altered responsibilities for existing consultants; the introduction of a new grade of hospital consultant; and the need to provide greater on-site consultant cover in public hospitals, especially at night and at weekends.