§ 37. Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what incentives the Government intend to give general practitioners to participate in locality commissioning, with particular reference to existing fundholders. [23452]
§ Mr. MilburnIn England, primary care-led commissioning will be undertaken by Primary Care Groups, which will allow better co-ordination of primary care and community services, and better healthcare provision to patients in the locality. National Health Service trusts and Primary Care Groups will be able to use savings from longer term agreements to improve services to patients. In addition, there can be practice-level incentive arrangements associated with the groups' budgets, approved by the health authority.
Redeployment of the general practitioner fundholding Practice Fund Management Allowance will provide about £3 per head of population to support the groups' running costs. GPs who take on key responsibilities within Primary Care Groups will have their time appropriately reimbursed from within the group's management support.