§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of general practitioners(a) work part-time, (b) will retire in three years' time and (c) have indicated that they are prepared to work out of hours under the new general practitioner contract. [171507]
§ Dr. LadymanOf the 33,564 all general practitioners employed in the National Health Service as at September 2003 8,687 or 25.9 per cent, were part-time.
We do not collect information on the number of GPs who will retire in three years' time. Neither do we centrally collect any information on the workings of local out of hours services. Strategic health authorities have responsibility for the performance management of their primary care trusts in their delivery of out of hours services.