HC Deb 01 November 1988 vol 139 cc583-4W
23. Mr. Gregory

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he is encouraging health promotion in the family doctor service.

Mr. Mellor

Our plans are laid out in the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" (Cm 249) published in November 1987. Major changes are to be made in the system of payment to doctors to encourage them to devote more time to a range of health promotion and preventive activities. Their contracts with the National Health Service will be clarified to make health promotion and the prevention of disease a specific part of their terms of service.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he intends to increase the amount of choice for patients in the family doctor service.

Mr. Mellor

One of the main aims of the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" (Cm 249) is to give patients the widest range of choice in obtaining high quality primary medical care. To this end: Family practitioner committees will be required to provide consumers with more information about family doctor services, and to make the information more widely available. It will be made easier to change doctor. Steps will be taken to ensure that the public's comments are sought on local services and that their views are taken fully into account. Family doctors themselves will be encouraged to provide consumers with more information about the services that their practices provide.