§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department gives financial assistance to schemes for out-of-hours service in general practice under which all or most patients are required to attend at a centre for treatment; in what circumstances he(a) sets and (b) advises health authorities to set conditions under which a patient is entitled to expect a home visit for out-of-hours treatment; and if he will make a statement. [16424]
§ Mr. MaloneAll general practitioners may apply for reimbursements, from family health services authority out-of- hours development funds, of expenses incurred in providing out-of-hours services which maintain or improve standards of care for patients out of surgery hours and which reduce pressure on individual GPs and/or make more cost-effective use of GP time. This may include reimbursement of the costs incurred in using a primary care centre. The criteria governing the appropriate location of an out-of-hours consultation are set out in the NHS (GMS) Regulations 1992, as amended.