§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has about the prescribing patterns of(a) fundholding and (b) non-fundholding general practitioners; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyGeneral practitioner fundholders are leading the way in improving the cost-effectiveness of prescribing while ensuring that patients receive all the medicines that they need. They prescribe drugs in generic form more often than non-fundholders—49 per cent. compared with 43 per cent.—and their prescribing costs are increasing by around 4 per cent. per year less than those of other GPs.