§ Mr. DjanoglyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the refusal of parents to allow their children to receive the MMR vaccine affects(a) payment to the child's family doctor and (b) the star rating of the general practitioner surgery which the child attends. [151570]
§ Mr. HuttonThe MMR vaccine is provided to children as part of the childhood immunisation programme. General practitioners receive payment through a target system, which incentivises high levels of coverage in order to provide herd immunity. The target is achieved if they immunise an average of 70 per cent. or 90 per cent. of the children aged two or under on their patient list each quarter.
Target payment rates are:
- £980 for the 70 per cent. target.
- £2,940 for the 90 per cent. target.
The MMR indicator is one of 33 performance indicators in the primary care trust balance scorecard. Calculation of the ratings for 2003–04 is a matter for the new Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection.
There is no star rating system for GPs' surgeries.