§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are to be introduced to allow general practitioners easier access to specialist drug support for their patients. [182292]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe National Treatment Agency (NTA) for substance misuse has introduced a number of measures to allow general practitioners easier access to specialist drug support for their patients.
1763WSThe NTA issued guidance to local drug treatment commissioners to ensure that enough drug treatment places are commissioned in line with the NTA guidance "Models of Care" and that each local area has identified referral criteria and routes between primary care and drug treatment specialist services.
Since the introduction of the new general practitioners' contractual arrangements in April 2004, the NTA regional teams have worked hard to ensure that most drug action teams have in place a range of contractual arrangements which specify partnership and support arrangements between primary care and specialist drug treatment services. These include nationally enhanced service contracts and local enhanced service contracts.
The Royal College of General Practitioners also has a range of training courses funded by the Department to train GPs to properly identify, refer and provide treatment for drug misusers.