§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to increase expenditure on health education and require all new trainee entrants to general practice to have attended a six-week course in health educational skills.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergWe recently announced a cash allocation to the Health Education Council of £8.5 million for 1982–83. This represents a very substantial increase in real terms over the allocation for the current and previous years and will enable the council, which is the main source of help and advice in health education matters, to expand and intensify their activities.
The content of medical education is a matter for the profession and I understand health education is already included in many training courses for general practice trainees. However, I am arranging to draw the importance we attach to training in this subject to the attention of postgraduate medical deans and others responsible for organising day release courses for GP trainees. In these circumstances I would not consider it necessary to require all trainees to attend a six week course.