HC Deb 24 March 2004 vol 419 cc919-20W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance to general practitioners on implementing the advanced access system; and if he will make a statement. [159781]

Mr. Hutton

A copy of "Improving access in primary care with Advanced Access" has been placed in the Library. This is produced by the primary care collaborative. A key role for the collaborative is to explain, promote and disseminate "Advanced Access". Participating general practices have delivered impressive results—delivering a 72 per cent, reduction in waits for a general practitioner and a 50 per cent, reduction in waits to see a nurse. In large part as a result of this work, most patients in most areas are now able to be offered fast access to a GP or other primary care professional, in line with the NHS Plan target.

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reimbursement is made available to GP practices meeting the(a) 48 and (b) 24 hour access targets. [159782]

Mr. Hutton

Under the new primary medical services contracts, a practice will, from 2005–06, be able to receive on average up to £11,000 annually for achieving and sustaining delivery of patient access to services in line with the NHS Plan target. Most patients in most areas are now offered this level of access and we are confident that these financial incentives will ensure that this level of access continues and improves further.

Mr. Spring

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are per head of population in each of the primary care trusts within the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority. [163032]

Dr. Ladyman

The number of general practitioners per head of population for each primary care trust within the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge Strategic Health Authority area is shown in the table.

Unrestricted Principals and Equivalentsl (UPEs) per 100,000 patients for Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority by Primary Care Trust as at 30 September 2003
Numbers (headcount)
UPEs UPE patients UPEs per 100,000 patients
Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,341 2,211,268 61
of which:
Broadland 73 119,170 61
Cambridge City 87 137,350 63
Central Suffolk 63 95,586 66
East Cambridgeshire and Fenland 81 148,405 55
Great Yarmouth 47 89,627 52
Huntingdonshire 94 148,749 63
Ipswich 88 147,514 60
North Norfolk 60 100,541 60
North Peterborough 58 114,528 51
Norwich 91 129,677 70
South Cambridgeshire 64 104,440 61
South Peterborough 56 94,850 59
Southern Norfolk 114 198,741 57
Suffolk Coastal 63 97,544 65
Suffolk West 137 222,666 62
Waveney 76 124,716 61
West Norfolk 89 137,164 65
1 UPEs include QMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs

Source: Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics