§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to reduce the maximum number of patients on a general practitioner's list to 3,000 by the end of 1982, 2,750 by the end of 1983 and 2,500 by the end of 1984 in order (a) to provide more openings into primary care, (b) to bring the work load for individual practitioners to a level that will enable them to give patients more individual attention and (c) to have fewer patients referred to hospitals.
§ Dr. VaughanThe total for England in 1975 of 8,522 unrestricted principals with a list size of 2,500 or greater 201W had fallen by 1980 by 18.7 per cent. to 6,932. Similarly, the average list size fell by 5 per cent. from 2,365 to 2,247. The number of unrestricted principals in general medical practice increased during the same period by 7 per cent. from 20,377 to 21,812. These trends indicate an important shift in favour of smaller lists without any change in the legislation specifying the maximum number of persons a doctor may have on his list.