HC Deb 25 February 1976 vol 906 cc266-8W
Mrs. Millie Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the fees payable to consultants and other workers in the NHS hospitals for services connected with family planning; what is the total cost of such fees per annum; what are the fees payable to general practitioners for family planning services; what is the total cost of such fees per annum; and what is the estimated average extra fees thus available to individual consultants and GPs, in percentage terms.

Dr. Owen

The scale of fees, effective from July last year, for family planning work undertaken in hospitals by consultants and other hospital doctors under arrangements agreed with their area health authorities, is as follows:

SCALE OF FEES
£
(i) a fee per case of male sterilisation performed:
(a) as a separate procedure 16.25
(b) during the course of an-other procedure 11.00
(ii) a fee per case of female sterilisation performed:
(a) as a separate procedure 22.00
(b) during the course of an-other procedure 14.70
(iii) a fee for the reversal of male sterilisation 25.00
(iv) a fee for the reversal of female sterilisation 35.00
(v) a fee per case for the insertion of an intra-uterine contraceptive device:
(a) as a separate procedure 11.00
(b) during the course of an-other procedure 7.30
(vi) lees per case for anaesthetist's services, corresponding to those above as follows:
(i) (a) 8.00
(b) 5.30
(ii) (a) 10.75
(b) 7.20
(iii) 12.50
(iv) 17.50
(v) (a) 8.00
(b) 5.30
(vii) a fee per case for examination and report on pathological specimens referred in connection with National Health Service family planning cases 3.00
(viii) a fee per case for radiological services provided in connection with National Health Service family planning cases 3.00
(ix) a fee per notional half-day special family planning session 18.70

At present levels of family planning work the full annual cost of these fees is estimated to be about £3 million for England and Wales.

The payments to general practitioners for family planning services are annual fees of £3.50 per patient ordinarily, or £10 for patients fitted with an intrauterine device in the year. On present levels of work the cost is estimated at about £4½ million for a full year for England and Wales.

The fees represent about 3 per cent. of the average remuneration of consultants and 2 per cent. of that of general practitioners, but not all of this will be extra remuneration for either.