HC Deb 20 January 2003 vol 398 cc127-8W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner vacancies there were in each primary care trust in the last two years. [83289]

Mr. Hutton

The information requested was not collected at primary care trust level in the last two years.

Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his target is for the number of general practitioners per head of population. [90297]

Mr. Hutton

The NHS Plan implemented a commitment to increase the overall number of general practitioners (GPs) by 2000 in England between 1999 and 2004. Based on the latest available statistics, the number of whole-time equivalent GPs per 100,000 weighted population is 54.5. To meet the national target entails an increase to an average 55.7 GPs per 100,000 weighted population.

We want to see GP numbers expand further. Guidance to primary care trusts (PCTs) set out three parameters within which all PCTs should be aiming to recruit additional GPs during 2003–04: those PCTs which are below the existing average 53.2 should aim to recruit sufficient GPs to raise their GP numbers by at least 6 per cent., or to at least 55.7,with the aim of achieving at least the lesser of these aims; those PCTs which are more than the existing average of 53.2, but below the projected average of 55.7, should aim to recruit up to 6 per cent. more GPs. In some appropriate circumstances—and where it is possible—PCTs may exceed this; and those PCTs at or above the projected average of 55.7 should aim to recruit up to 3 per cent. more GPs. In some appropriate circumstances—and where it is possible—PCTs may exceed this.