Primary Care Groups

HL Deb 08 July 1998 vol 591 cc142-3WA

Lord Brougham and Vaux

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they have advised health authorities that, in setting up primary care groups, general practitioners' surgeries should be required to join the group in that area where their surgery is based. [HL2530]

Baroness Jay of Paddington

Primary care groups will be based on natural geographical communities of people, typically covering around 100,000 population, and we expect general practitioners to join the group in which they can best represent the needs of their patients. It is important that GPs are involved in primary care groups which cover the natural communities that they serve. Primary care groups will have an important role in securing the health of the populations they serve, and the public need to know who is serving their health needs.