HC Deb 24 March 1994 vol 240 cc415-6W
Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was paid over to family health services authorities by district health authorities in each of the last five years;

(2) what was the total amount of money paid over by family health services authorities to (a) district health authorities and (b) local authorities for services provided and joint projects for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr. Sackville

The annual accounts and financial returns of family health services authorities and district health authorities do not analyse income and expenditure in a way which would permit the identification of all such payments to DHAs or local authorities by FHSAs or to FHSAs by DHAs.

Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the responsibility for a family health services authority to ensure that adequate general practitioner cover is available to respite centres for carers and day centres for elderly or disabled people.

Dr. Mawhinney

A family health services authority may require a general practitioner included in its medical list to provide treatment at any place in his practice area, provided that there is no other doctor who, at the time of the request, is under an obligation to give treatment to that person.

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish in theOfficial Report details of the administrative costs of administering the family health service authorities for England for each year since 1989–90; and what has been the percentage change since then for the latest possible year.

Dr. Mawhinney

[holding answer 16 March 1994]: The revenue expenditure on family health services authorities —in 1989–90, family practitioner committees—in England on administration was £67 million in 1989–90, £104 million in 1990–91, £136 million in 1991–92 and £162 million in 1992–93. The percentage change from 1989–90 to 1992–93 was 142 per cent. FHSAs manage the introduction of general practitioner fundholding, the monitoring of prescribing and the development of clinical audit in primary care—all initiatives aimed at improving the effectiveness of patient care and value for money the national health service receives from its investment in primary care services. In 1992–93, FHSA administrative expenditure represented only 2.5 per cent. of the £6.5 billion of taxpayers' money spent on the family health service.