HL Deb 30 June 1994 vol 556 cc55-6WA
Lord Colwyn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, as a result of reduced spending brought about by good financial mangement in a particular year, a fundholding practice would have its budget reduced in subsequent years; and

Whether they are aware of any instances where fundholding practices have artificially inflated their expenditure on drugs and hospital referral costs in order to disburse the whole of their budget for a particular year, in order to avoid having their budgets reduced in subsequent years.

Baroness Cumberlege

No. Our aim is to ensure that general practitioners who are fundholders are allocated their fair share of National Health Service resources according to the needs of their patients. Efficiency savings in one year would therefore not normally affect the budget in future years.

Lord Colwyn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any plans to introduce a system of funding which rewards fundholding practices which are efficient in the management of their funding.

Baroness Cumberlege

The general practitioner fundholding scheme already provides incentives to general practitioners to manage their funds efficiently, in that savings can be reinvested in services for the patients registered with the practice.