§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take action to ensure that general practitioner fundholders(a) hold regular meetings in public, (b) consult 483W the public on their purchasing intentions, (c) submit their contracts to quality monitoring at least as rigorous as for health authorities and (d) establish relationships with community health councils comparable to those already existing with other purchasers and providers; and if he will make a statement. [33000]
§ Mr. MaloneTheAccountability Framework for GP fundholding requires general practitioner fundholders to make their plans and performance reports available for public scrutiny by sending them to community health councils, making them available to patients at the practice and involving patients in service planning. GP fundholders are also required, as part of the process for monitoring and reviewing performance, to submit to the health authority an annual report of their performance including quality improvements achieved.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will withdraw his Department's decision to amend the funding formula for health authorities and implement a system of capitation-based funding for GP fundholding practices at the earliest opportunity; if he will base budget allocation on an equitable allocation of resources between the patients of fundholding and non-fundholding practices; and if he will make a statement. [33002]
§ Mr. MaloneThe fair allocation of resources is a fundamental principle of budget setting in the national health service. This applies irrespective of whether practices are fundholding or not.
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.