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Family Doctor Services

At times, the debate has been stimulating, and it has been interesting and necessary throughout. Many well-informed contributions highlighted the concerns in many different parts of the country. The key issues to come out of the debate are the disparity in existing provision, the nervousness about future provision and the potential for a break in the important GP-patient relationship. Any decision to improve provision and services should be taken locally and should not be imposed centrally. My hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) opened the debate. He provided a thorough analysis and a detailed, comprehensive and authoritative explanation and understanding of the issues. He was right to highlight his support for family doctors, the importance of GP contracts, the need for GPs to remain as independent contractors and the tensions between primary and secondary care. He was also right to highlight the concerns about the imposition of polyclinics or GP-led health centres—it is whatever the Government have chosen to call them today—which will be centralised, top-down structures that will be unresponsive to local needs in some circumstances and undermine access in rural areas. The issue is about centralising primary care. The Opposition do not oppose polyclinics or GP-led centres, when local needs desire and require them. The Secretary of State for Health is a disarming man with a charming and calming manner, which is why, I suspect, he has been put in that job.