§ Mr. Gwilym JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to what variations are to be found in the prescribing patterns of general practitioners in Wales; what is the average inpatient and cash terms; what are the highest and lowest variations of any individual practice; and what variations can be found between similar practices with similar demographic compositions.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettInformation on GP prescribing is provided by the prescription pricing division of the Welsh Health Common Services Agency to family health services authorities, which, as part of their responsibilities, examine the cost of GP prescribing, including reasons for variations between GP practices with similar characteristics. However, the information is not collated in such a way as to provide the information my hon. Friend requires, except at disproportionate cost.
I have put work in hand to refine the information system so that it will supplement the standard reports with a faster, more efficient and more detailed service for those who require information to he analysed according to their individual needs.