§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the amount of general practitioner hours which could be freed up by cutting the amount of paperwork required of family doctors. [71153]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 18 July 2002]The Department has worked with the Cabinet Office public sector team to achieve the outcomes contained in the joint reportsMaking a difference: reducing general practitioner (GP) paperwork I and II published in March 2001 and June 2002.
Estimates, based on advice from practising general practitioners (GPs), suggest that if all the outcomes of these two reports are fully implemented the potential annual savings will amount to 10.3 million GP appointments freed, 3.4 additonal hours saved and up to 80,000 additional requests for medical information removed.