§ 7. Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents of (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes are served by fundholding general practitioners (i) as a percentage of the population and (ii) in total. [10362]
§ Mr. MaloneThe total registered population in Buckinghamshire covered by a fundholding general practitioner is appropriately 486,000. In Milton Keynes, fundholders serve around 156,000 people. Those figures represent 71 per cent. of the registered population of Buckinghamshire and 80 per cent. of the registered population of Milton Keynes.
§ Mr. ButlerAs a registered patient with one of the best fundholding GP practices, not just in Newport Pagnell and my constituency but in the country, may I invite my hon. Friend to join me in congratulating the doctors who have demonstrated that this policy works in providing an ever-improving and outstanding service to their patients? What advice would he give to my constituents and others who are anxious to continue to enjoy the benefits of GP fundholding after the next election?
§ Mr. MaloneI am grateful to my hon. Friend for pointing out the excellent work that is being done not only by his GP fundholder but by others in his constituency. I extend that to across the country as well, where the majority of the population of England are now served by GP fundholders. There is a very simple answer to the question that he posed, because in the election one party will be pledged to abolish GP fundholding—the Labour party. The Conservative Government will sustain GP fundholding when re-elected, so my advice is pretty clear: vote Conservative.