Primary Care Trusts

Mr. Lansley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the enhanced service floor was for 2005-06, broken down by primary care trust (PCT); what she expects it to be in 2006-07, broken down by PCT; and what steps she will take to ensure that PCTs do not invest in enhanced services at a level below the enhanced service floor.

Ms Rosie Winterton
Information detailing the enhanced service floors for 2005-06 and 2006-07 broken down by primary care trust has been placed in the Library.

The enhanced services floor (ESF) is not a statutory requirement on PCTs but Ministers have made a commitment that a minimum level of expenditure for each PCT would be spent on enhanced services in a given financial year.

Where PCTs may not be achieving expected levels of expenditure to meet their ESF, they should discuss the position with their local medical committee (LMC). Any local disputes regarding enhanced service investment in the new GMS contract should, if all local routes have been exhausted, be referred by strategic health authorities and LMCs to the national health service employers/general practitioners council (GPC) implementation co-ordination group (ICG).