§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will review the arrangements whereby general practitioners are permitted to contract out of service to their patients by using a commercial deputising service, in the light of information sent to him by the hon. Member for Brent, South.
405W
§ Mr. MoyleI have taken note of the discussion of the use of commercial deputising services which took place at the recent annual meeting of the Society of Family Practitioner Committees, and to which my hon. Friend has drawn my attention. I understand that a motion designed to secure clear instructions about the extent to which these services might properly be used was referred, after debate, to the management committee for further consideration. I shall of course be very ready to consider any representations which the society decides to put forward. Meanwhile the existing guidance to family practitioner committees on the subject provides that consent should not be given to any standing arrangement under which a deputising service would care for a practitioner's patients on his behalf every night and weekend.