Primary Care Groups

HC Deb 03 December 2001 vol 376 c123W

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of establishing primary care groups has been. [17681]

Mr. Hutton

The establishment of primary care groups was funded using moneys released by the abolition of general practitioner fundholding. The previous Government had set aside an annual budget of £180 million to run fundholding. We have used those moneys both to set up primary care groups and to improve services to patients. Approximately £150 million additional moneys was used following the establishment of primary care groups.