HC Deb 27 June 1994 vol 245 c418W
Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scientific evidence she has as to the cost-effectiveness of the increase in practice nurses in primary care.

Dr. Mawhinney

We are satisfied that the effect of the increase in practice nurses is evident in benefits to patients, for example, through support of general practitioners in the provision of the following services;immunisation—over 90 per cent. of GPs have achieved top rates; 97 per cent. of GPs have reached cervical cytology targets; over 90 per cent. of GPs have reached band three of health promotion, while almost 90 per cent. of GPs have been approved to run chronic disease management programmes for the treatment of asthma and diabetes; a survey conducted by MORI in 1991 found that almost four out of five elderly patients, over 75 years of age, who were offered a health check took advantage of it while nine out of ten of those patients who had the health check found it to be useful.