§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy that the same value of minimum practice income guarantee should be offered to GPs if the number of patients on their rolls falls below the 2002–03 figures. [138586]
§ Mr. HuttonThe minimum practice income guarantee will ensure that any gap between the global sum and the practice's previous income for global sum equivalent items will be met for as long as is necessary. Practices that have a lower global sum allocation than their previous income from global sum equivalent items will receive a correction factor to the value of this difference. The correction factor will be determined and fixed at the first quarter of 2004–05 and will continue to be paid on top of the global sum allocation for as long as is needed. It will be uplifted along with the uplifts in the global sum.
1379WA practice that has a falling list will continue to receive the correction factor as determined in the first quarter of 2004–05, but its calculated global sum allocation will fall as a result of the falling list size. This avoids the situation where a practice may be providing services to a small list, but is receiving income protection based on earnings received for providing services to a much larger list.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that the new GP funding formula will not result in less money than the previous formula being offered for general practitioners, with particular reference to GPs in Brent. [138587]
§ Mr. HuttonThe new minimum practice income guarantee will ensure that practices do not lose out on their global sum allocation formula compared with their previous global sum equivalent income. This arrangement will remain in place for as long as is needed.
Practices' global sum equivalent income will be calculated in the first quarter of 2004–05 and compared with the global sum allocation. If the global sum equivalent is higher than the global sum the practice will receive a correction factor to make good this difference. This correction factor will be paid monthly to practices for as long as is necessary.
§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to ensure that access to high-quality sexual health services is(a) made a priority and (b) resourced as part of the new general practitioner contract; [139467]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that general practitioners will meet the Level 1 and 2 service provision set out in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV as part of the new general practitioner contract. [139468]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 18 November 2003]: "The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV" set out an increasing role for primary care services, recognising that general practice plays a crucial role in the delivery of sexual health services. The new general medical services contract includes a new patient services guarantee to ensure patients have access to at least the range of services they currently enjoy, with a guarantee that will see investment in primary care increase by one-third by 2005–06.
All practices will provide essential services. Contraceptive services will be delivered as an additional service which practices have a preferential right to provide, and will normally do so.
Patients will not only continue to receive a family planning service, including screening for sexually transmitted infections where necessary, but primary care trusts will also be able to commission more specialised sexual health services that conform with the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that the new GP contract does not act as a financial disincentive for GPs to take on new patients. [138601]
1380W
§ Mr. HuttonThe new general medical services contract aims to ensure that resources reflect more accurately a contractor's workload and the costs of delivering high quality care to the local population. Those general practitioners who choose to take on new patients will be properly rewarded for doing so.