Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 December 2014, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 2 January 2015. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Wednesday, 31 December 2014 on behalf of the Department of Health.

General Practitioners

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the proposed changes to the funding formula for general practices take account of the pressures on practices with a high level of deprivation amongst their patients.

Answer

Typically, at least half of the money that a General Medical Services practice receives is in the form of 'Global Sum' derived through the Carr-Hill formula. The Carr-Hill formula, as agreed with the British Medical Association, is used to allocate the Global Sum and related payments on the basis of the practice population, weighted for factors that influence relative needs and costs.

Currently, the Carr-Hill formula includes a weighting for deprivation factors. It includes adjustments for levels of chronic disease and premature mortality, both of which are highly correlated with social deprivation. This was based on academic research to establish which factors – in addition to age and sex – best predict variations in workload between GP practices. A national review of the Carr-Hill formula is ongoing.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL3788
Session
2014-15
Subjects
Disadvantaged Finance General practitioners
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk