§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the general practitioner fundholders operating within the Ayrshire and Arran health board area; what is the size of the budgets under their control; and if he will make a statement on the criteria which GP practices have to fulfil in order to gain fund holding status.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 31 January 1994]: Three fund-holding practices have been operating within the board area from 1 April 1993: Dr. Richardson and partner, Institute avenue, Catrine combined with Dr. Cleland and partners, High street, Mauchline; Dr. Thomson and partners, 8 Cathcart street, Ayr and Dr. McSherry and partners, 9 Frew terrace, Irvine.
Details of the allotted sums, or funds, determined by the health board and deployed by a GP fundholding practice are published annually in each individual practice's audited annual accounts. Such audited accounts are not yet available for 1993–94.
The health board is required to determine each application according to the National Health Service (Fundholding Practices) (Scotland) Regulations 1993— SI 1993 No. 488. The main criteria to be fulfilled to gain GP fundholding status are that the practice, or group of practices, must have a list size of at least 6,000 patients; the fundholding application must be made by all members of the practice partnership; the practice must demonstrate that it has the managerial capability and resource plans necessary to manage a fund effectively and efficiently; and it must have a computer system to support the effective and efficient management of the fund.