HC Deb 12 July 1988 vol 137 cc146-7W
12. Mr. Greg Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards increasing public awareness of the benefits of preventive health care; and what steps he is taking to encourage healthy eating.

Mrs. Currie

We are making available £25 million from central funding this year to promote good health through health education programmes. We are also helping prevent disease at an early stage through the breast cancer and cervical cancer screening service. A major campaign to help eradicate childhood infections including measles, mumps and rubella will be launched shortly.

As for healthy eating, the Government aim at:

  • accurate information on food value;
  • ready access to a wide variety of foods;
  • steadily rising prosperity and personal disposable income.
all of which we have achieved under this Government.

15. Mr. Wilshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how the proposals in the primary health care White Paper are intended to help to promote health and prevent illness.

Mr. Newton

In a variety of ways, including making health promotion and the prevention of disease a clearer requirement in practitioners' contracts, and introducing targets for vaccination immunisation and cytology.

19. Dame Jill Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how the proposals in the primary health care White Paper are intended to help make services more responsive to the consumer.

Mrs. Currie

Specific White Paper measures include:

  • —more information for patients through FPC lists and practice leaflets;
  • —simpler procedures for changing doctors;
  • —changes to GP's remuneration system.
Talks are underway on details of other White Paper measures with the relevant professions.

71. Mr. Harris

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how the proposals in the primary health care White Paper are intended to raise standards of care.

Mr. Newton

Many of the proposals in the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" will contribute to raising standards of care. In the case of the family doctors, changes to the doctors' remuneration system and terms of service will encourage doctors to emulate the best practices in the services they offer. Other changes include extending and developing training and teamwork in primary care generally and giving a stronger voice to the consumer. We will also require family practitioner committees to play an enhanced role in the management of the family practitioner services with the aim of securing continuing improvements in the level, quality and cost effectiveness of service provision and greater accountability from those providing and managing these services.

77. Mr. Heddle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how he proposes to improve primary health care services in inner cities.

Mr. Newton

By raising standards and extending services, the whole thrust of the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" will benefit inner cities. Specific proposals aimed at improving services in these areas include strengthening primary care teams with the addition of health care professionals such as link workers, physiotherapists, counsellors and chiropodists as well as more practice nurses, and new incentives to attract pharmacies to inner cities and to encourage more doctors and dentists to work in these areas.

83. Mr. Stevens

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has to give patients a wider range of choice in obtaining high quality primary health care services.

Mr. Newton

One of the main themes of the White Paper "Promoting Better Heath" is to give patients a wider range of choice in obtaining high quality primary health care services. We intend to enable patients to make a more informed choice by making more information available about services provided by local doctors and dentists. We plan to strengthen primary health care teams by encouraging the inclusion of physiotherapists, counsellors, chiropodists and other health care professionals. We also plan to change the NHS contract with family doctors so that a greater range of services is provided, and to amend the dentists' NHS contract to improve the availability and quality of dental services.

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