To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current average payment to GPs per registered patient (a) nationally and (b) in North Yorkshire is. (219783)

The current general medical services (GMS) weighted capitation payment per registered patient is £54.72 but the protection of historic income by the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee means that most GMS practices receive more than this and there is wide variation in the payments that practices receive. If these protected payments were distributed fairly and equitably between GMS practices the average GMS weighted payment per patient nationally would be £66. In North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust the average GMS weighted capitation payments received by practices is £69. No information is held centrally on the level of similar payments made by primary care trust to PMS practices or other local contracted providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on average levels of payment to GPs per registered patient of removing the minimum practice income guarantee. (219784)

The Minimum Practice Income Guarantee is currently worth £325 million annually and is unevenly distributed between General Medical Services (GMS) practices on the basis of their historic income for core essential patient services. The table below sets out the distribution of additional payments being made to GMS practices in terms of £s per registered patient.