§ Dr. TongeTo ask the of State for Health how many patients were referred by fundholding GPs to the private sector for secondary health care in the last year for which figures are available. [14831]
§ Mr. MilburnIn 1996–97, general practitioner fundholders spent £71.5 million (2.7 per cent. of their total expenditure) outside the National Health Service.
A circular covering the priorities and planning guidance for 1998–99 requires health authorities, general practitioner fundholders and trusts to explore the scope to make maximum cost effective use of local NHS capacity before contemplating recourse to private sector hospital providers and, where care is nonetheless commissioned from private hospitals, to report the reasons to the regional office.