§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the establishment of local health services. [153485]
§ Mr. DenhamPrimary Care Trusts (PCTs) are key agents for securing services that better meet the needs of their population. They are able to play a leading role in improving the health of their community and delivering more integrated local services. PCTs are starting to make this happen. 124 new PCTs have become established this year, bringing the total now to 164. Further PCTs will be established next year.
In addition, £100 million will be provided to Primary Care Groups (PCGs) and PCTs to develop primary care service, an average of £10,000 per general practitioner practice, that are aimed to promote new ideas or ways of working that deliver improved patient services. This might include funding, extra clinics, extended opening hours, training GP specialists or developing other primary care clinicians to deliver, for instance, better heart and cancer services.
We recognise that GPs and other primary care health practitioners are dealing with illness and disease now, which in the recent past could only be dealt with in hospitals. This trend will continue and investment is being made now to make sure that GPs have the time and the expertise to deliver top class care in our communities. Therefore, in addition to existing funding and the new resources available to all PCGs and trusts, from April 35W 2001 each PCG and PCT will receive £5,000 to support the lead GP or nurse engaged within the local cancer clinical network.
New Personal Medical Services (PMS) pilots are also providing an opportunity to test different ideas for delivering existing primary care focusing on local services problems and bringing about improvements. PMS has proved to be very successful in reaching deprived areas where help is often most needed, making service provision more responsive and equitable.