§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the new GP contract on the provision of out of hours cover. [105392]
§ Mr. HuttonThe proposed new general medical service (CMS) contract would offer CMS providers the opportunity to opt out of responsibility for providing out of hours care to their patients and a timetable for doing so. If the new contract is accepted by general practitioners and they exercise this opt-out, primary care trusts (PCTs) will be responsible for ensuring that an alternative and accredited service is available.