§ 9. Commander Keransasked the Minister of Health how many general practitioners have contracted out of the National Health Service from 1955 onwards.
§ Mr. PowellThere were 4,350 withdrawals between 1st January, 1955, and 1st July, 1960. Reasons for withdrawals are not notified, but death or retirement account for the majority.
§ Commander KeransWould not my right hon. Friend agree that there is a growing sense of frustration among many general practitioners in the National Health Service, mainly because of the overladen capacity of the work they have to do, and the frustration of administration? Will my right hon.
§ to the health of many mothers and small children.
§ Miss PittI take it that the hon. Lady means that the charges are harmful, and not that the supplements are.
§ Miss PittAs was explained in the debate, although the vitamins are important in nutrition, they are now available through many other sources because of the wide variety of foods available for people in this country, and, as I said earlier, the necessitous cases can obtain these supplements free if they are in receipt of National Assistance benefit.
§ Following are the figures for the third quarter:
§ Friend look into the question of whether we can get more doctors from the Commonwealth and elsewhere to supplement the present deficiencies in the National Health Service?
§ Mr. PowellI would not agree that there is a growing sense of frustration, and in fact the number of general practitioners on National Health Service lists is increasing. Certainly the figures that I have given my hon. and gallant Friend do not contain evidence to support his contention.