§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the Government's reaction to recommendation 13.8 of the report, Occupational Health and Hygiene Services of the Select Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Lords, for expanding the general practitioner role in this field.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWhilst we accept that general practitioners should take full account of the effects of occupation on health we do not support the view that occupational health (OH) should be an integral part of primary care, and that the role of the GP should be expanded in this field. Many doctors providing primary care are not equipped educationally, or otherwise, to undertake OH and their patients are, by and large, those whose homes rather than places of work are within the practice area.
We have also to take into account the likely effect on the basic work load of GPs. If the volume of occupational health work were to become so great that it affected their capacity to provide basic primary care services we would obviously be concerned. We do however support the view expressed by the Health and Safety Commission that the 831W Royal College of General Practitioners should consider the extent to which occupational medicine should be a discipline in general practice training.