§ Mr. Terry Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what safeguards exist to protect elderly or infirm patients who are summarily removed from general practitioners' panels whilst still in need of basic medical care;
(2) what guidance his Department issues on continuing the provision of general practitioner services to patients who have been removed from general practitioners' panels and who are (a) over the age of 65 years, (b) incontinent or (c) suffering from senile dementia.
§ Mr. NewtonUnder the National Health Service a family doctor is not allowed to remove a person from his list without giving the local family practitioner committee (FPC) eight days notice of his decision. Where the person concerned is receiving frequent treatment from the doctor (that is, at intervals of less than eight days), the notice of removal cannot begin to run until the treatment is no longer needed.
When notifying a person that he is to be removed from a doctor's list, the FPC informs the person of his rights in the matter as described above. If there are difficulties in finding a new doctor, the FPC is expected to help. Indeed, the FPC is required to see that everyone who seeks the services of a family doctor does in fact obtain them and the FPC has the power to assign a person to a doctor if necessary. These arrangements apply to all persons irrespective of age or physical or mental condition.
§ Mr. Terry Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients (a) over the age of 65 years or (b) who are incontinent were removed from general practitioners' panels by general practitioners in each year since 1980 who had been registered with the same general practitioner for (i) five years, (ii) 10 years, (iii) 15 years or (iv) 20 years or more.
§ Mr. NewtonThis information is not available centrally.