§ Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of consultants in each specialty and the relative numbers of A plus, A, B, and C merit awards on the most recent date for which figures are available, together with comparable figures for the previous year.
§ Mr. PowellThe figures for England and Wales are as follows:
§ Mr. PowellAs regards the reserved £1 million, a joint working party of the Health Departments and the profession has recommended that £250,000 be set aside for payments to doctors in respect of postgraduate education and the remainder used to increase the loading for patients between the 1,000th and 1,500th on doctors' lists.
11WAs regards the special fund for additional remuneration to recognise distinguished general practice, another joint working party has drawn up a scheme under which a committee consisting predominantly of general practitioners and appointed by me in consultation with the profession would select doctors to participate in this fund by way of payments of not less than £500 a year. The committee would take account of experience and other factors and be assisted by recommendations from local assessors drawn from various branches of the profession. The names of the doctors selected would not be published. There would be a similar scheme for Scotland.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have informed the British Medical Association that for our part we are willing to accept both these schemes of distribution. They will now be considered by the profession, and if they are agreed the arrangements for implementing them will be worked out in detail.