HC Deb 11 November 1997 vol 300 c706
20. Ms Drown

How much money his Department saved by not approving the eighth wave of applications for GP fundholding status. [13829]

Mr. Milburn

The deferment of the eighth wave of the general practitioner fundholding scheme led to £20 million from the inherited budget for general practitioner fundholders' management costs being immediately redeployed into patient care.

An additional £9 million has subsequently been released from further management efficiency savings nationally in the fundholding scheme.

Ms Drown

In the light of that answer, will my hon. Friend review the potential administrative savings that could be made from previous waves of GP fundholding, so that money could be redirected into basic NHS services, such as dentistry, in my constituency? Not only are no new adults in my constituency being accepted on NHS dentist lists, but a recent poll showed that one in three dentists were not accepting new children on NHS lists.

Mr. Milburn

I am aware of the concerns in the Swindon area about the availability of dental services. I shall see my right hon. Friend before long to discuss these. I can give my hon. Friend an assurance that the Government will do everything that we can to bear down on unnecessary bureaucracy costs wherever they arise in the national health service to ensure that there is adequate investment in front-line patient care.