HC Deb 09 December 2002 vol 396 cc162-4W
John Cryer

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age is of GPs in the Havering Primary Care Trust area; and how many will reach retirement age before 2006. [85076]

Mr. Hutton

The information requested is shown in the table.

each year since 1997 is set out in the following table. Information for GPs working in Scotland and Wales are the responsibilities of the devolved Administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.

General medical practitioners in England; 1997 to 2002
numbers (headcount)
1 October 30 September 31 March
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
All practitioners1 — — 30,959 31,369 31,835 32,011
Of which
Practitioners (excluding GP retainers) 29,389 29,697 29,987 30,252 30,685 30,858
NHS plan group2 28,046 28,251 28,467 28,593 28,802 28,950
Unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)3 27,099 27,392 27,591 27,704 27,843 27,956
GP registrars 1,343 1,446 1,520 1,659 1,883 1,908
1 All practitioners include unrestricted principals equivalents (UPE), restricted principals, GP registrars, assistants, salaried doctors, persona medical services (PMS) others and GP retainers.
2 NHS plan GPs include UPEs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors and PMS others. The base year for NHS plan starts at 1999.
3 UPEs include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage more GPs to set up practice in East Lancashire; and if he will make a statement. [82547]

Jacqui Smith

The Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust is working together with the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley and Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) on a number of initiatives, both long and short-term, to help recruit and retain general practitioners in East Lancashire. All three PCTs., are actively pursuing initiatives around personal medical services and the local implementation finance initiative, but are also developing individual ways of encouraging more GPs into East Lancashire. Examples include:

Blackburn with Darwen PCT, which is looking at the skill mix in its practices Ito make optimum use of the relevant professional skills, such as nurse triage;

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT, where three new GPs have been appointed and are due to start practising in February 2003. The PCT is working closely with its neighbouring PCTs by providing mentoring support to all new GPs; and

Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT, which has established a work force and training sub group of the professional executive committee. The work force sub group is leading the work towards the production of a work force development plan.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average number of GPs per 1,000 of the population was in(a) rural and (b) urban areas in each year from 1997 to 2002; [84498]

(2) what the average number of GPs per 1,000 of the population in (a) Shropshire and (b) the UK was in each year from 1997 to 2002. [84497]

Mr. Hutton

[holding answers 2 December 2002]: The table shows the number of General Practitioners in Shropshire and England, and rural and urban areas in 2001. Population figures for earlier years are currently being revised by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in light of results from the 2001 national population census. 2001 Census based population estimates for mid-year 2001 were published in October 2002, however it is not possible to provide figures for earlier years on a comparable basis. Revised population estimates for earlier years are expected to be published by ONS in February 2003. Information for GPs working in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations, while the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.

Average number of GPs per 1,000 population
All practitioners1
Shropshire 0.62
England 0.65
Rural areas 0.69
Urban areas 0.64
1 All Practitioners include Unrestricted Principles and Equivalents, Restricted Principals. GP Registrars, Assistants, Salaried Doctors, Personal Medical Services, Others and GP Retainers.

Source:

Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics