§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has considered seeking to prevent general practitioners from issuing private prescriptions to Health Service patients for those items not on the limited list; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe drugs left available for prescription on the National Health Service will meet all clinical needs in the therapeutic categories covered by the proposals. There will therefore be no medical need for a doctor to prescribe an item not on the limited list. If a patient elects to have a private prescription instead, that will be a matter of choice and we see no reason to prevent general practitioners issuing such prescriptions.