HC Deb 25 March 2004 vol 419 cc1052-3W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on(a) accident and emergency units, (b) the ambulance service and (c) NHS Direct of the new general practitioner contracts from 1 April. [162264]

Mr. Hutton

The new contract for general medical services will enable strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to commission more integrated unscheduled care services, bringing together providers of primary medical services, NHS Direct, ambulance trusts and other providers to enhance the delivery of high-quality, continuous and holistic care.

Mr. George Osborne

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the total cost to the NHS of general practitioner services in the last recorded year. [158265]

Mr. Hutton

The table shows total general medical services (GMS) and personal medical services (PMS) expenditure for the financial year 2002–03.

GMS and PMS expenditure, England 2002–03
£000
Strategic Health Authority expenditure Primary Care Trust expenditure Total expenditure
GMS discretionary 989 863,371 864,360
GMS non discretionary 1,116,722 951,003 2,067,725
PMS 3,607 1,148,179 1,151,786
Total 1,121,318 2,962,553 4,083,871

Sources:

  1. 1. Strategic Health Authority Audited Summarisation Forms.
  2. 2. Primary Care Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules.