HC Deb 20 March 1990 vol 169 cc547-9W
32. Sir Peter Emery

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there will be any changes in doctors' rights to refer patients for treatment as a result of the proposals in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

115. Mr. Sims

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect the provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill will have on general practitioners' freedom to refer patients for the most appropriate treatment.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill will allow the introduction of contract funding of health care. This will bring GP referrals and the allocation of resources more closely into line. For example it will avoid problems that arise currently where the choices open to GPs may be constrained if the preferred hospital is a victim of its own success and cannot accept additional patients because of budgetary constraint.

In future district health authorities will be expected to let contracts which secure the referral patterns which their local GPs prefer, unless there are compelling reasons for not doing so. In this way resources will be directed to the units which GPs and their patients wish to use.

GPs who take part in the new practice funds scheme will have resources for certain hospital procedures which they can deploy directly.

42. Mr. Tim Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in implementing the National Health Service review changes.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

For a detailed explanation of all the progress we have made in putting into action the changes outlined in the White Paper "Working for Patients" I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him and my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe) on 20 February at columns714–15.

Since then, other important steps have been taken towards implementing our proposals. First, on 27 February I announced the funding of a further 65 consultants for the NHS between now and 1992. This fulfils our commitment in the White Paper to the creation of 100 new consultant posts over three years. These posts will help reduce waiting times in districts and specialities with particularly long waiting lists. They will also help reduce the working hours of junior doctors, and improve the career structure in the respective specialities.

On 1 March, further information was published about how the new contracting system will operate.

On 14 March, Duncan Nichol, NHS chief executive, launched a new management development drive for 80,000 NHS managers and professionals, including doctors and nurses, with management responsibilities. The 14 regions are committed to developing their own support programmes with particular emphasis on improving the skills needed to implement the major changes that will be required in the post-reform NHS.

The chief executive also announced the next phase of the management communication programme to improve communications with staff. This is based on the results of a survey of communications carried out among general managers with particular emphasis on those at unit level where most staff are employed and most patients are treated.

60. Dr. Goodson-Wickes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from the British Medical Association on the implementation of his White Paper.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

We have not received recent representations from the British Medical Association on the White Paper "Working for Patients". There is, however, a growing understanding among the medical profession and others of the positive benefits to patients that will flow from these reforms.

68. Mr. Bidwell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of local authority associations to discuss the provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

102. Mr. Bell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of local authority associations to discuss the provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

111. Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of local authority associations to discuss the provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

129. Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of local authority associations to discuss the provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

I met with representatives from the Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA) and Association of County Councils (ACC) on 5 February to discuss implementation of community care. Officials have also been meeting with officers of the local authority associations over recent months to discuss a range of community care issues. We shall continue to engage in consultation with the local authority associations as we carry forward our plans for implementation.

86. Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors in Cornwall have indicated their support for the Government's National Health Service reforms.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

We have received many comments on the Government's proposals to improve the Health Service from a wide variety of sources. Many ask questions, many support all or some of the proposals, and some only refer to specific points. It is not possible to distinguish them in the way the hon. Member requests.

136. Mr. Neale

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect the proposals in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill will have on the distances patients will travel for treatment.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Surveys have shown that a majority of patients are willing to travel to get earlier or better treatment. Under the new funding arrangements for hospital services, the financial problems previously associated with accepting patients from outside the home district will be alleviated because hospitals will be funded directly for the patients they treat, wherever they come from. No patient will be made to travel long distances for treatment against his will.

141. Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications the National Health Service and Community Care Bill will have for current prescribing policies by general practitioners.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

When the proposals for indicative prescribing budgets contained in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill are implemented, GPs will remain free to prescribe all medicines which are clinically necessary for their patients. Indicative prescribing budgets will encourage GPs to examine their prescribing habits and costs more closely and to prescribe more effectively.