HC Deb 10 April 2002 vol 383 cc431-2W
Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps have been taken by his Department to notify medical practitioners who operate exclusively outside the NHS of the requirements of Clause 4(1)(b) of the Private and Voluntary Health Care (England) Regulations 2001, prior to registration packs being sent out to them; [46796]

(2) what consultations his Department had, and with which professional bodies, concerning the requirements of Clause 4(1)(b) of the Private and Voluntary Health Care (England) Regulations 2001; [46795]

(3) what information his Department made available to those covered by Clause 4(1)(b) of the Private and Voluntary Health Care (England) Regulations 2001, (a)prior to the Regulations being debated by Parliament and (b)prior to their implementation. [46685]

Jacqui Smith

The following organisations were among those consulted by the Department prior to the public consultation on the regulations and national minimum standards for exclusively private medical practitioners

  • The Independent Healthcare Association
  • The British Medical Association
  • The Independent Doctors Forum1
  • The Network for Private General Practice1
  • Federation of Independent Practitioners1
  • The Royal Colleges
  • The General Medical Council
  • The Medicare Group, via the Medicare Centre at Waterloo.

Trade associations for private medical practitioners

The national minimum standards and regulations were developed with the help of an external consultation group comprising users, providers, inspectors, healthcare professionals and specialists. The standards for the different specialties were developed in consultation with appropriate stakeholder organisations, and throughout 2000 and 2001, Dr. Derek Machin, the chair of the BMA group on private practice, assisted in the development of the standards for private medical practitioners.

In early 2001, before the formal consultation period, officials had two meetings with a representative of the Independent Doctors Forum. In July 2001, the regulations and standards were published for a three-month consultation period. The consultation document was also available on the Department's website.