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Family Doctor Services

I believe that absolutely. GPs are fundamentally important to everything that happens in the NHS, and we have world-class primary care. That is why we have we have introduced those measures over the past 10 years—to bring in more investment and to attract more GPs, while ensuring that they are better rewarded and can spend more time with their patients. Let me deal with the rather pathetic attempt by the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) to misrepresent our position. There is no national policy for replacing traditional GP surgeries with health centres or, indeed, polyclinics. There are no plans to herd GPs against their will, or the will of patients, into super-surgeries. We are not seeking to reduce the number of GP practices. I quote from the interim report of my noble Friend Lord Darzi—this also answers the intervention made by the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mrs. Dorries)— who said:"““More than 80 per cent of NHS patient care takes place in primary care... Our registered GP list system is renowned internationally. Our primary care system co-ordinates care for patients in a way few other countries match. There are strong bonds between staff and their patients, families and carers.””"