§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ensure that the general public are adequately informed of the action necessary to achieve swift contact with medical assistance where a deputising service is employed.
§ Dr. OwenGeneral practitioners are independent contractors who have undertaken to provide or to arrange to provide general medical services for their patients whenever needed. This responsibility involves the duty of ensuring that patients are readily able to get into touch with them, or, if they are not available, with whomever is for the time being acting on their behalf, whether this is a partner, an assistant, a colleague with whom they have rota arrangements or a deputising service. Before entering into arrangements with a deputising service a doctor must obtain the family practitioner committee's consent. This may be subject to conditions to ensure the adequacy of such arrangements.
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