§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what powers under what regulations family practitioner committees use to control or approve the form of deputising services provided by medical practitioners; and in what manner these powers differ from those conferred on the former area insurance committees, as set out in Schedule One, Part One of the Medical Benefit Regulations 1937.
§ Mr. MoyleThe current powers are in the National Health Service (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1974, S.I. 1974 No. 160. Schedule 1 sets out the terms of service for doctors, and paragraphs 16 to 23 include a number of provisions governing the extent to which a doctor must provide services personally, the circumstances in which he may employ deputies, and his responsibility for the acts and omissions of his deputies. In particular, paragraph 19 requires that a doctor shall obtain the consent of the family practitioner committee before entering into arrangements with a deputising service and gives the committee power to impose conditions to ensure the adequacy of the arrangements.
Paragraph 19 had no counterpart in earlier regulations to which my hon. Friend refers—the National Health Insurance (Medical Benefit) Regulations, which were in fact made in 1936—because deputising services had not then been introduced. Apart from that, the main rules
Administrative and clerical Other* Total Brent health district … … … … … 69 18 87 Harrow health district … … … … … 54 17 71 Shenley Hospital … … … … … … 31 7 38 Family practitioner service … … … … 275† Nil 275 Area Health Authority headquarters … … … 107 12 119‡ Total … … … … … … 536 54 590 * Including nursing, medical and works staff. † Total number of staff at the Wembley complex which services the family practitioner committees for five area health authorities. ‡ Including the following area-based services: supplies, accounts training, salaries and wages. Some headquarters staff also provide managerial services for the family practitioner committee and Shenley Hospital.