§ 6. Mr. HawksleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was provided for family doctors in 1989–90; and what is the current level of provision.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe sum of £1.5 billion was provided for general medical services in 198–0. The figure for the current year is £2.4 billion.
§ Mr. HawksleyI thank my hon. Friend for that encouraging answer. Recent opinion polls show that nine out of 10 patients think that they receive a good service 485 from their general practitioners. Does my hon. Friend think that there has been a great change in the past few years?
§ Mr. SackvilleIt is not surprising that there is general satisfaction with primary care. The number of practice staff has nearly doubled over the past 10 years, as has the number of services that practices offer.