HC Deb 19 April 1989 vol 151 cc204-5W
Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average list size of a general practitioner in rural practice in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr. Mellor

The average list size of general practitioners in receipt of rural practice allowance (payable if 10 per cent. or more patients live in rural areas) in England at 1 October 1987 was 2,020. Figures for previous years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average general practitioner salary for doctors in rural practices in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr. Mellor

The information is not available.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the payments for child immunisation targets and cervical cytology targets for doctors in dispersed rural areas under the proposed general practitioner contracts.

Mr. Mellor

Our proposals for target payments to general practitioners who achieve the target levels of coverage for childhood immunisation and cervical cytology will apply equally to rural and non-rural doctors.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will define the concept of rurality to be used as a basis for providing supplementary capitation allowances under the proposed general practitioner contracts.

Mr. Mellor

We propose that a rural capitation supplement to basic practice allowance should be related to population density in future; areas of greatest sparsity attracting the highest level of supplement.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the level of estimated payments to be made to general practitioners in rural practices for health promotion work and under the proposed practitioner contracts;

(2) if he will make a statement on the provision for elderly patients in rural areas under the proposed general practitioner contracts.

Mr. Mellor

The proposals set out in "A New Contract" make clear that the provision of health promotion, including the offer of three-yearly check-ups, and annual check-ups for patients aged 75 and over, will be made specific requirements in general medical practitioners' terms of service. We intend to introduce a new sessional fee for health promotion clinics, and to raise significantly the level of the capitation fee for patients aged 75 and over. These proposals will apply equally to general practitioners in rural and non-rural areas. The amounts of these payments have not been decided.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of night fees which may be paid to doctors other than from the patient's own practice in sparsely populated rural areas.

Mr. Mellor

Under the Government's proposals a higher level of night visit fee will be payable if the visit is made by the patient's own doctor or by a partner or another member of the group practice. A lower fee will be payable if another doctor sees the patient. The same arrangements are proposed for both rural and urban areas. The amounts of the fees have not been decided.