§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of family medical practitioners make use of night and week-end deputising services in each area in Scotland; if such doctors receive a reduced fee; and whether savings are thereby made in total National Health Service expenditure.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe information on the percentage of family medical practitioners who at 1 October 1981 had obtained health board consent to enter into regular or standing arrangements with a deputising service is set out in the table below. The information relates to the five areas where the health board had given such consent to at least one practitioner. In the remaining 10 areas no consents had been given by the health board. None of the fees payable to a doctor is reduced where he employs a deputy or deputising service; consequently there is no saving to total National Health Service expenditure.
379W
Health Board Area Number of unrestricted principals Number with consent to use a deputising service Number with consent to use a deputising service as percentage ofall unrestricted principals Argyll and Clyde 269 50 19 Greater Glasgow 596 442 74 Lanarkshire 277 89 32 Lothian 459 96 21 Tayside 227 51 22