§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether health authorities are paying for British Telecom's total care service where this is required by their employees due to on-call responsibilities;
(2) whether general practitioners and other independent contractors can claim back from the National Health Service the cost of purchasing British Telecom's total care service where this is required to replace emergency fault repair cover;
(3) what is the total cost to the family practitioner service budget of British Telecom's total care service; and whether this cost has been taken into account in his Department's estimates;
(4) what is the total cost to the hospital and community health service budget of health authorities paying for British Telecom's total care service; whether this cost is reimbursed to health authorities; and whether health authority allocations have been increased to cover this new cost.
§ Mr. NewtonThe total cost (including VAT) to the National Health Service of British Telecom's total care service is not yet known. Discussion will continue with BT on the application of the agreed charging arrangements which allow for the total cost to be influenced by the level of demands made.
The cost of these BT services to the hospital and community health service will be met by health authorities from within their existing allocations for the current financial year. It is for health authorities to decide whether they wish all or some of their on-call staff to receive this BT service for which the authority would pay.
Provision for the costs (including VAT) of British Telecom's total care service for priority telephone fault repairs for general medical practitioners (including trainees) and pharmacists in contract with family practitioner committees in England is included in the Department's estimates and central settlement by the Department has been agreed and will be made. To the extent that general dental practitioners and opticians in contract with family practitioner committees take up the 377W service any costs arising would form part of the normal remuneration arrangements and he indirectly reimbursed through the NHS scale of fees.