§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of general practitioners demanding and accepting a fee from Asian patients in breach of their terms of service have been the subject of investigation by medical service committees of family practitioner committees; what system operates for his Department to monitor such cases; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinSince 1 January 1978 there have been seven findings of a breach of the terms of service by general medical practitioners in England for wrongly demanding or accepting a fee from patients. Statistics of medical service committee cases are not kept by ethnic groups.
All medical service committee cases are reported to the Department. If a breach of the terms of service has been found I decide—subject to any appeal—what action is appropriate. This is usually a warning or a withholding of a sum of money from the practitioner's remuneration.
As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 21 December 1979, alleged breaches of a practitioner's terms of service will be investigated by family practitioner committees' medical service committees provided persons are prepared to give evidence about the events in question.—[Vol 976, c. 519.]