HC Deb 11 June 1968 vol 766 cc16-7
14. Mr. Maurice Macmillan

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a detailed statement on the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration 9th Report, Command Paper No. 3600.

13. Mr. Scott-Hopkins

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a detailed statement on the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration 9th Report Command Paper No. 3600.

Mr. K. Robinson

Discussions are in progress with the medical profession on matters left for negotiation with them but implementation of the Review Body's recommendations for doctors and hospital dentists must await the professions' decisions on these recommendations. It has been agreed that the recommendation that the target net income of general dental practitioners should remain unchanged does not at present require revision of the scale of fees.

Mr. Macmillan

But does the right hon. Gentleman not think, in view of the amount which is spent on training and the increasing amount which it is proposed that the Commission should spend, that an increase in doctors' remuneration is required if medical practitioners are to be retained in this country and he does not in future face the necessity of sending missions to the United States to try to get them to come back?

Mr. Robinson

All these points were considered by the Review Body on the evidence submitted by the profession, and it made its Report. That Report is still under discussion, as I said, with the profession.