§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct the NHS executive to change its purchasing system so that all patients are treated equally according to clinical need by(a) having a separate budget for accident and emergency costs, to ensure that unexpected increases do not have to be absorbed by the district health authority, (b) allocating the cost of more expensive and long-term treatments so that general practitioner fundholders pay an appropriate amount, (c) investigation the merits of bringing all general practitioners into the purchasing system as equal partners with district health authorities and (d) investigating the merits of providing all general practitioners with funds for routine treatments; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaloneThe aim of budget setting in the national health service is to give both health authorities and fundholding general practitioners a fair share of NHS resources to meet their patients' needs. In the case of health authorities, this includes funding to secure accident and emergency services for the whole of their local population. EL(94)79 recently announced a significant expansion of fundholding options to enable all GPs to become directly involved in purchasing and managing funds on their patients' behalf.
Copies of EL(94)79, "Developing NHS purchasing and GP fundholding", EL(94)84, "General Practice Fundholding: guidance on setting budgets for 1995–96" and FDL (94)68, "Revenue allocations 1995–96" are available in the Library.