HC Deb 23 May 1990 vol 173 c199W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of deprivation allowances to general practitioners under the terms of the new contract in each family practitioner committee area.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health is he will list for each family practitioner committee area the areas which qualify for low, medium and high deprivation allowances within the terms of the new general practitioner contract.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he has asked family practitioner committees to identify areas of low, medium and high deprivation for the purposes of payments of deprivation allowances under the terms of the new general practitioner contract.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

In introducing deprivation payments for the first time into the general practitioner remuneration system the Government are using the analysis developed by Professor Jarman, professor of primary health care at St. Mary's hospital medical school. His index makes it possible to identify deprived areas by ward according to a score based on key factors such as the level of unemployment, numbers of elderly people living alone and extent of household overcrowding. Family practitioner committees have been supplied with software which will enable payments to be made to general practitioners automatically every quarter by linking patients' postcodes to postcodes in the wards classified as deprived.