HC Deb 14 March 1980 vol 980 cc728-9W
Mr. Ray Powell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his proposals for improving the availability and quality of primary care provision such as general practitioner, dental, health visitor and district nurse services.

Sir George Young

The numbers of general medical practitioners are steadily increasing and most new entrants now receive vocational training; this will become mandatory in two stages beginning next February.

Powers are being sought in the Health Services Bill to increase the borrowing limit of the General Practice Finance Corporation and to enable it to buy and lease back general practice surgeries to doctors.

Experimental schemes are in progress in a few areas, with the co-operation of the British Dental Association, to help determine ways of improving general dental services where there are inadequacies. If these experiments are successful, consideration will be given to their wider introduction. Health authorities have recently been asked to consider arranging emergency dental service schemes at weekends and bank holidays according to their local circumstances.

The development of community health services, including health visiting and district nursing services, is the responsibility of area health authorities, within the resources available to them and bearing in mind the importance which the Government attach to primary and community care generally.