§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average current annual cost of a trainee in general practice; and what is the total number involved on average at any stage.
§ Dr. VaughanThe current average cost of a trainee in general practice is about £15,000 per year. At 1 October 1979, there were 1,143 and 93 trainees in general practices in England and Wales respectively; each year about 600 doctors also start two-year organised training schemes in hospitals prior to entering general practice.
§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what degree of expansion there has been in the general practitioner trainee scheme over the past three years; what extra costs there have 729W been in regional machinery for the administration of this scheme; and whether he has information as to whether such extra costs have meant that there have been enforced cutbacks in other services such as ward and hospital closures.
§ Dr. VaughanOver the past three years the numbers of doctors undertaking the year's training in general practice in England and Wales were:
England Wales 1977 866 66 1978 997 77 1979 1,143 93 Little additional regional machinery has been required to administer the scheme and the majority of the cost of the training is met from funds provided for general medical services and general practitioners' postgraduate education. The portion of the cost falling to health authorities is too small to have a measurable effect on the provision of other services.