§ Mr. Favellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to issue a circular on deputising services; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am today issuing the Government's final guidance on GP deputising services. We have had the opportunity of considering carefully all the responses to the draft proposals which I published on 19 December. There was widespread support for the majority of our proposals but the final documents reflect the detailed points that were made. Our object throughout is to improve the standard of care offered to the public.
If the legislation passed through this House is enacted by Parliament, family practitioner committees will in future be directly accountable to the Secretary of State for the way in which they carry out their responsibilities for the family doctors' service. As a result of our guidance FPCs will all have sub-committees to monitor standards of deputising services and these sub-committees will also be accountable to Ministers, through FPCs, rather than as at present to local professional committees. The new sub-committees, which will replace the professional advisory committees, will have their membership drawn from members of the general public who are not members of the health care professions in contract with the FPC.
I am glad to say that the new direct accountability to Ministers for the monitoring of standards of deputising services, and the inclusion of lay members in the committees responsible have been widely welcomed by those who commented on my proposals.
The circular gives new and clear guidance so that the committees concerned can know what Minister will expect. Committees must ensure that deputising services are of a reasonable standard and that the extent of their use by each practice is reasonable in the circumstances.
Arrangements for approving services and permitting use by practices must be reviewed regularly. The majority of doctors and the general public agreed with our plans for annual reviews of consents to use services, for annual checks on compliance with the form of consent, and for regular reporting to FPCs by the new sub-committees on standards. Changes in the code of practice were also welcomed which will ensure that deputising services are adequately staffed end efficiently run with sound operational policies.
I am convinced that the new guidance will provide a much better basis for monitoring standards of deputising 496W services and the extent of their use. Patient and doctor interests will be adequately represented in the new local arrangements. I am sure that standards of patient care will now be raised everywhere to the standards always achieved by the best.