§ Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Health, in view of the importance of general practitioners in certifying the individual with the consequent loss of liberty for lengthy periods together with the handicaps that follow from the stigma of certification, what consideration is being given to improving the present facilities for post-graduate training in respect to mental illness and mental deficiency.
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§ Mr. Walker-SmithThe universities and medical schools organise postgraduate refresher courses, for which my Department pays fees and certain expenses of attendance, to enable general medical practitioners working in the Health Service to keep themselves informed of the latest developments in professional knowledge. Particular subjects such as mental health are included in these courses according to the current need for their inclusion, the facilities available and the likely demand. In addition to such courses, general practitioners receive many opportunities, in their daily work as family doctors, to gain a wide experience of mental health, and with the growing emphasis on community care, these will increase.