McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the top-up sum available to primary care trusts to pay individual general practitioners for out-of-hours service will reach at least the current investment level. [155682]
§ Mr. HuttonThe investment in out-of-hours services has been doubled to £92 million from 2004–05. This is in addition to the average of £6,000 primary care trusts (PCTs) will receive for every general practitioner opting out of the responsibility to provide out of hours services. A further £28 million will be made. available to PCTs facing the biggest challenges in developing their out-of-hours services.