§ 24. Mr. Budgenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to improve the facilities of family doctors in the inner cities.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeMy right hon. Friend announced on 27 October a £9 million programme to improve primary health care. — [Vol. 47, c. 458.] Included in this programme is a scheme for a higher level improvement grant to enable family doctors in selected areas of England, including inner cities, to up-grade poor quality surgery premises or improve practice organisation. The scheme will run for three years and the total additional amount being made available is £2.5 million. At the discretion of family practitioner committees and subject to certain conditions being fulfilled improvement grants of 60 per cent. of the approved cost may be met by the Committee compared with 33⅓ per cent. under the existing country-wide scheme.
In addition we propose to ask all family practitioner committees in England and Wales to adopt a more active role in advising doctors on premises, to monitor standards through regular visiting and to promote improvements. New minimum standards will be set and committees will be empowered to withhold, after due consideration and notice, some or all of the reimbursement of rent and rates which they make to doctors, where the minimum standards are not achieved.
425WNew guidance is also being prepared on the design of primary health care premises, including doctors' surgery premises, with a particular emphasis on adapting and improving existing buildings.