§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the accreditation and payment plans of GPs with special interests; [124344]
(2) whether mental health is included in the new sets of guidelines for GPs with special interests; and if he will make a statement. [124396]
§ Mr. HuttonMental health is one of the new guidelines for general practitiorers with a special interest (GPwSI) published by the Department of Health on 24 April. These guidelines we re commissioned from the Royal 119W College of General Practitioners. They link closely with relevant national service frameworks and draw on good practice and experience nationally to offer support to primary care trusts (PCTs) in extending the range of services offered in primary care. Accreditation and remuneration of GPwSIs are both matters for PCTs to determine locally except, in future, where the GPwSI service falls within the scope of a national enhanced service under the new general medical services contract, when national benchmark prices will apply as a minimum price.