§ Mr. Molloyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take into consideration in examining the question of remuneration for family practitioners the decreasing work load in the area of home visits, and the recent national morbidity survey which found that consultation rates were 20 per cent. less than on a similar survey in the mid-1950's.
§ Dr. OwenThe remuneration of family doctors in the National Health Service is a matter on which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is advised by the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration. Doctors' workload is one of many relevant factors to which the review body has regard in framing its recommendations.
In the survey to which my hon Friend has drawn attention the frequency of 211W consultations—including home visits—per patient proved to be some 20 per cent. less than that of the practices included in the previous survey. Any assessment of variation in workload would, however, need to take account of other factors. including length of consultations and the number of patients.