To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the minimum standards are for out of hours on call doctors (a) to speak by telephone to a patient and (b) to visit a patient at home. [121071]

[holding answer 23 June 2003]: Following the Carson Review in 2000, standards for out-of-hours primary medical services are set by regulations. These require patients to be clinically assessed within 30 minutes of their telephone call. If that assessment determines that a doctor needs to visit a patient at home, emergencies must be visited within an hour, urgent cases within two hours and less urgent cases within six hours.