§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his reply of 15 January to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central,Official Report, column 86, how many visits were undertaken by regional medical officers each year since 1984 and in which National Health Service regions; what was his basis for the estimate of saving per practice; whether the PACT data for the 2,800 practices referred to confirm those savings; and what was the expenditure per patient on practice lists of the 2,800 practices referred to in each year since 1984.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe number of visits by region to high-cost practices undertaken by regional medical officers is given in my reply to the hon. Member on 16 January, at columns 197–98. The estimates of savings per practice following a visit to a high-cost practice are based on a comparison of practice prescribing costs before and after the visit using PACT data. Information on the cost per patient for the practices mentioned since 1984 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.