Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Lansley and Gordon Henderson

Tuesday 18th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am grateful to the Secretary of State, who has put the position very explicitly on the record.

[Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey) (Con)]

T2. The coalition agreement states:“Doctors and nurses need to be able to use their professional judgement about what is right for patients and we will support this by giving front-line staff more control of their working environment.” That being the case, can my right hon. Friend explain why, despite national clinical guidelines, GPs in my constituency face financial penalties if they do not meet targets for reducing the cost of the drugs that they prescribe?

[Mr Lansley]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, and I understand that Kent and Medway primary care trust is working to incentivise the optimisation of medicines usage. We provide advice through the National Prescribing Centre and in other ways, and we support that work with GPs through the structure of the quality and outcomes framework. However, this is about incentivisation for best prescribing practice, not about financial penalties.