§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely impact on hospital emergency services of the choice general practitioners will have after October to opt out of Saturday morning surgeries. [184973]
§ Mr. HuttonUnder the new general medical services contract, primary care trusts (PCTs) have responsibility for ensuring a high quality service is available to patients during the out-of-hours period. which now includes Saturday mornings. PCTs have consequently built this extra demand into their capacity assumptions and their commissioning. They are also communicating details of changes, where necessary, to patients and other local services.