Will Quince corrected a written answer on General Practitioners

15 March 2023 · Commons written answer · Department of Health and Social Care

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour, Slough) asked written question 137924 on 1 February 2023. Will Quince answered on 14 March 2023 for the Department of Health and Social Care, and Will Quince corrected the answer on 15 March 2023. The corrected text adds the figures 0.5, 2.1, 37.5, which the original did not give. Altogether 406 words differ between the two versions.

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many fully-qualified GPs were working in General Practice in England in (a) 2019 and (b) the most recent period for which data is available.

Original and corrected answer

Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.

Original	Corrected
The ~~Government has considered~~ the ~~link between changes~~ to the ~~volume-based rebate payments~~ in ~~our medicine pricing schemes~~ and ~~various kinds~~ of investment, along with any associated impacts on employment in the life sciences industry in the United Kingdom, in our impact assessment of recent updates to the statutory scheme for branded medicines pricing, which operates alongside the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS). The Government’s 2023 impact assessment of updates to the statutory scheme is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-update-to-the-2023-statutory-scheme-to-control-the-costs-of-branded-health-service-medicines With regard to the impact of medicine price regulation schemes on the level of foreign direct investment into the UK’s life sciences research and development, the evidence on this issue is uncertain. The impact assessment considered this issue, and sets out the Government’s assessment that, while price regulation schemes such as VPAS may be a consideration in the decision to locate such investments, these are complex decisions based on multiple factors. Supply side factors such as the availability of skilled labour are considered likely to be of greater significance. With regard to the impact of price regulation on the placement of clinical trials in the UK, the Government’s assessment is that price control schemes in general are more likely to impact decisions about the location of late-stage than early-stage trials, as the location of late-stage trials may be more influenced by commercial considerations about where to launch a new medicine. However, VPAS includes strong commercial incentives to launch new products in the form of freedom of list pricing and ~~exemptions from payments for innovative medicines containing a new active substance.~~	The information requested is publicly available and can be accessed here: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/general-and-personal-medical-services/31-december-2022. Notes · Data includes estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records. · In December 2022, 2.1% of fully qualified GP FTE was estimated where practices had not provided fully valid staff records. · Before July 2021, data was only available quarterly for the following months: March, June, September and December. · Full-time equivalent (FTE) refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours (37.5), 0.5 that they worked half time. TARGET DATE 09/02/2023 · Figures shown do not include staff working in prisons, army bases, educational establishments, specialist care centres including drug rehabilitation centres, walk-in centres and other alternative settings outside of traditional general practice such as urgent treatment centres and minor injury units. · Figures include GP partners, salaried GPs, GP retainers and GP regular locums.

Original

Corrected

The ~~Government has considered~~ the ~~link between changes~~ to the ~~volume-based rebate payments~~ in ~~our medicine pricing schemes~~ and ~~various kinds~~ of investment, along with any associated impacts on employment in the life sciences industry in the United Kingdom, in our impact assessment of recent updates to the statutory scheme for branded medicines pricing, which operates alongside the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS).
The Government’s 2023 impact assessment of updates to the statutory scheme is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-update-to-the-2023-statutory-scheme-to-control-the-costs-of-branded-health-service-medicines
With regard to the impact of medicine price regulation schemes on the level of foreign direct investment into the UK’s life sciences research and development, the evidence on this issue is uncertain. The impact assessment considered this issue, and sets out the Government’s assessment that, while price regulation schemes such as VPAS may be a consideration in the decision to locate such investments, these are complex decisions based on multiple factors. Supply side factors such as the availability of skilled labour are considered likely to be of greater significance.
With regard to the impact of price regulation on the placement of clinical trials in the UK, the Government’s assessment is that price control schemes in general are more likely to impact decisions about the location of late-stage than early-stage trials, as the location of late-stage trials may be more influenced by commercial considerations about where to launch a new medicine. However, VPAS includes strong commercial incentives to launch new products in the form of freedom of list pricing and ~~exemptions from payments for innovative medicines containing a new active substance.~~

The information requested is publicly available and can be accessed here:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/general-and-personal-medical-services/31-december-2022.
Notes
· Data includes estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records.
· In December 2022, 2.1% of fully qualified GP FTE was estimated where practices had not provided fully valid staff records.
· Before July 2021, data was only available quarterly for the following months: March, June, September and December.
· Full-time equivalent (FTE) refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours (37.5), 0.5 that they worked half time.
TARGET DATE 09/02/2023
· Figures shown do not include staff working in prisons, army bases, educational establishments, specialist care centres including drug rehabilitation centres, walk-in centres and other alternative settings outside of traditional general practice such as urgent treatment centres and minor injury units.
· Figures include GP partners, salaried GPs, GP retainers and GP regular locums.

The question and answer on the Parliament website.

Receipt

Read from	https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/1582931?expandMember=true
Date read	15 October 2026
SHA-256	`102dcad3a3b52d7c74b882f5b2f580d830f5840467820878df76f25c6d8ea5c7`