HC Deb 23 March 1993 vol 221 cc571-2W
Mr. Peter Atkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner fund holders are due to start operating in April; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney

Around 600 further practices are expected to join the scheme from 1 April, when one in four of the population will be covered by the scheme.

21. Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners currently have fund-holding status; how many more have applied; and what is the number of practices which neither have nor have applied for fund-holding status.

Dr. Mawhinney

Over 3,000 general practitioners in 585 practices are now fund holders. Around 600 more practices are expected to join the scheme from 1 April. The figure for the number of applications made for fund-holding status is not held centrally.

Ms Lynne

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidelines she issues to general practitioner fund holders about the registration of people with disabilities;

(2) what representations she has had from disability support groups about discrimination in registering people with disabilities by general practitioner fund holders.

Dr. Mawhinney

An allegation of discrimination has been drawn to my attention by a local disability group. I understand that the issue has now been resolved. General practitioners have always had the right to decide whether or not to accept a patient on to their lists. We have now given patients the right to register with any doctor of their choice, who is willing to accept them. We endorse the advice issued by the General Medical Council that it is unacceptable to discriminate against patients on any grounds.

Fund-holding GPs have no financial reason to refuse to accept patients. The level of funding is set individually for each practice and takes into account factors such as the number of chronically sick and disabled people and other potentially "high-cost" patients. In addition, regions hold contingency reserves to meet any unforeseeable changes, such as an increase in the number of patients requiring high-cost treatment.