§ Mr. Sean Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what safeguards, other than professional, exist to monitor the service provided by general practitioners; and if he will make a statement about the avenues of complaint open to the public with regard to these services.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeFamily practitioner committees are responsible for administering arrangements for family practitioner services including those provided by general medical practitioners. The committees have a duty to ensure the adequacy of doctors' premises, to approve when and where certain services are to be provided and to monitor the standards and use of deputising services in general medical practice. They also investigate complaints 47W involving practitioners informally under certain circumstances, and formally under the National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunals) Regulations 1974 (as amended).
We have recently issued a leaflet entitled "Complaints about Dentists, Chemists, Opticians and Family Doctors" (June 1984) which is freely available to the public and explains the procedures for complaining about family practitioner services.
Advice and assistance may also be obtained, in pursuance of complaints from the family practitioner committees and from community health councils and citizens advice bureaux.