§ Mr. Harry Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications have been made by doctors about to complete their pre-registration year in Scottish hospitals who wish to enter general practice.
§ Mr. FairgrieveDoctors wishing to train in general practice apply to individual practices and information about numbers of applications is not collected centrally. Entry to general practice training does not necessarily take place at the end of the pre-registration year.
§ Mr. Harry Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement regarding the possibility of designated areas in Scotland becoming fully staffed with general practitioners; and when he expects this to take place;
(2) what discussions he has had with the British Medical Association in Scotland with a view to enlisting its help in persuading doctors entering general practice to practice in designated areas.
§ Mr. FairgrieveThe designated district scheme is designed to attract doctors to areas with inadequate general medical services. The scheme has had a measure of success, although this is difficult to quantify, but the circumstances of "underdoctored" areas vary and the need for further measures to alleviate their problems have been under active consideration for some time. The health Departments and the profession examined this issue jointly in 1978–79. Subsequently, the British Medical Association set up a separate study and I expect that the Association will wish to pursue its eventual conclusions with the health Departments.
§ Mr. Harry Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the designated areas in Scotland where enhanced payments are available to general practitioners.
§ Mr. FairgrieveThe present designated districts in Scotland are as follows:
Health Board and Practice District
- Fife—Cupar, Kelty, Lochgelly.
- Forth Valley—Grangemouth.
- Highland—Wick.
- Lanarkshire—Airdrie, Bellshill, Carluke, Coatbridge, Kilsyth, Larkhall, Motherwell/Wishaw/Carfin, Lanark, Blantyre.
- Lothian—Fauldhouse/Stoneyburn.
- Greater Glasgow—Clydebank.
§ Mr. Harry Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average number of (a) patients, (b) patients under five years and (c) patients over 65 years per general practitioner in Grangemouth; and how these figures compare with the averages in (i) Scotland and (ii) Great Britain.
§ Mr. FairgrieveInformation about numbers of patients under five on practice lists is not readily available. The other information requested is set out in the table below: the figures for Grangemouth and Scotland relate to October 1980, those for England and Wales to October 1979.
33W
Grangemouth Scotland England and Wales Average number of patients per general practitioner 2,260 1,835 2,277
Grangemouth Scotland England and Wales Average number of patients over 65 years per general practitioner 276 263 339