HC Deb 17 May 1994 vol 243 cc421-2W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, by region, the allocation for general practitioner fundholding for prescribing in(a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92, (c) 1992–93 and (d) 1993–94.

Dr. Mawhinney

General practitioner fundholding commenced in April 1991; prescribing allocations for the years since then are shown in the table. Fundholding practices may vire between the prescribing elements of their budgets and those for staff costs and hospital and community health services.

Fundholding prescribing allocations
Cash
Region 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94
Northern 15,934,291 26,141,569 47,885,444
Yorkshire 20,493,035 40,091,223 72,853,258
Trent 14,728,729 33,489,726 84,915,707
East Anglia 5,378,891 9,201,810 31,167,885
North West Thames 9,791,918 21,828,519 47,730,650
North East Thames 5,449,000 10,991,000 24,835,826
South East Thames 7,353,300 15,792,100 47,178,307
South West Thames 8,764,415 20,177,992 38,200,663
Wessex 8,732,605 21,727,541 37,730,212
Oxford 13,020,177 26,606,056 43,867,848
South western 9,912,110 22,241,703 40,893,887
West Midlands 14,183,746 34,587,254 79,716,686
Mersey 11,626,278 26,484,731 53,510,834
North western 9,476,185 19,293,355 43,645,118
TOTAL 154,844,679 328,654,579 694,132,325

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of general practitioner non-fundholding practices in each region; what percentage of regional total of general practitioner practices this represents; and what percentage of the regional population they serve.

Dr. Mawhinney

The table gives the requested information as at 1 October 1993 when 75 per cent. of the population was served by non-fundholding general practitioners. On 1 April 1994 this was reduced to 65 per cent. as a further 805 practices joined the fundholding scheme.

Region Number of non-fundholding practices1 Percentage of all practices1 Percentage of population served1
Northern 451 86 76
Yorkshire 553 82 67
Trent 693 81 69
East Anglia 248 83 75
North West Thames 723 88 73
North East Thames 853 94 86
South East Thames 688 89 79
South West Thames 449 87 76
Wessex 385 87 78
Oxford 306 80 66
South Western 496 87 80
West Midlands 925 87 74
Mersey 341 77 65
North western 796 91 83
1 The figures are based on numbers of practices at 1 October 1993.