§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice his Department gives to family practitioners committees concerning the registration of homeless people with general practitioners; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieEveryone normally resident in the United Kingdom is entitled to receive general medical services. If a person experiences difficulty in registering with a general medical practitioner, the family practitioner committee has a duty to assign him to a doctor's list. If a doctor refused to accept a person on his list he would still be obliged to provide any immediately necessary treatment for up to 14 days or until the patient was accepted by another doctor, whichever occurs sooner.
In 1985 FPCs were asked to indicate in their 1985–86 annual programmes whether there were any difficulties in their area in terms of people with no settled way of life obtaining general medical services. The results are currently being studied.
740WThis year in response to special needs identified in parts of London two pilot schemes have been established, one in Tower Hamlets and the other in Camden. These schemes are taking primary health care to homeless people in the places where they congregate. The longer term objective is to encourage people to register on the list of a general medical practitioner wherever this is practicable.
§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, how many homeless people are estimated as not registered with a general practitioner in the current year; and what were the comparable figures for 1983, 1984 and 1985.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe statistics which the hon. Member seeks are not collected.