HC Deb 02 June 1998 vol 313 cc173-4W
33. Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in respect of primary care groups. [42210]

Mr. Milburn

A great deal of work has been done since publication of the White Paper "The New NHS: Modem—Dependable" to establish Primary Care Groups. We are on course to have Primary Care Groups in place and operational by April 1999.

Local discussions are now well under way to agree Primary Care Group configurations by July this year. We have also been consulting various interested bodies nationally on implementation issues. We have made £22 million available to help get Primary Care Groups off the ground. This £22 million will be deliberately targeted to areas with higher numbers of non-fundholding general practitioners in recognition of the fact that they do not have the resources of the fundholder management allowances to draw on. It takes account of the fact that primary care management resources—including GP computing cash—has been unevenly distributed in the past. This is a first step to restoring equity across practices. It will be for local doctors and nurses to decide with their health authority how this money is best spent. This additional support will help family doctors and community nurses get their local Primary Care Group right so that patients get the maximum benefit from the new arrangements.