HC Deb 29 November 1994 vol 250 cc591-2W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to introduce mandatory training schemes for GP receptionists;

(2) what plans she has to allocate extra money to GPs in order to help fund the practice reception programme.

Mr. Malone

None.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will(a) increase the resources available to family health service authorities to ensure that more frequent inspections are carried out of general practitioner premises, (b) introduce measures to enforce standards and (c) ensure that public money spent by general practitioners is used for the maximum benefit of patients; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

Under their terms of service, general practitioners are responsible for the provision of adequate practice premises from which to see their patients and it is for family health services authorities to decide the frequency of practice visits needed in the light of local circumstances. Minimum standards are set out in the statement of fees and allowances which are payable for premises and measures already exist to enforce them.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if general practitioners in the South Thames region will remain free to accept or reject secondary care contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

Health authority decisions about contracts should be reached in close co-operation with general practitioners. However, GPs remain free to refer their patients in line with their clinical judgment to a service or hospital with which the health authority has no contract.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that general practitioners in the South 'Thames region will remain able to choose fundholding, locality purchasing or neither; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Malone

The recent executive letter "Developing NHS Purchasing and GP Fundholding"—EL(94)79—copies of which are available in the Library, emphasised that health authorities should work with all general practitioners to develop local health and purchasing strategies. The experience of the past four years has shown that patients receive more appropriate services when general practitioners take on direct responsibility for purchasing through fundholding. This remains voluntary.