§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he proposes to take to(a) prevent and (b) deal with overspending by primary care groups in the new NHS. [45482]
§ Mr. MilburnPrimary Care Groups will be accountable to health authorities for the way in which they discharge their functions, including financial matters. Guidance on management arrangements and risk management plans for PCG budgets will be issued in the summer.
If a Primary Care Group overspends, the overspend will be managed within the funds made available to health authorities generally, and to the National Health Service more widely, much as health authority overspends are handled now.