Gp Out Of Hours Co-Operatives - Reimbursement Of Fares

EDM number 575 in 1996-97, proposed by Hugh Bayley on 24/02/1997.

That this House welcomes the development of GP co-operatives for provision of out of hours primary care; recognises that they reduce the pressures on accident and emergency departments; notes that people in receipt of benefits can claim reimbursement of fares for visits to hospital under the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme; regrets that the scheme does not extend to cover the costs of patients on benefits travelling to GP co-operatives for out of hours treatment; notes that Nicola Kingsley, a York constituent in receipt of income support who took her sick child to a GP co-operative by taxi in the middle of the night, has been refused reimbursement of her fare; notes that the costs of a visit to a hospital accident and emergency department for a condition that could have been treated by a GP is ú44 on average, while a GP consultation costs ú15.50 on average; concludes that the NHS would save money by paying fares to people on benefits who attend out of hours primary care services because it would reduce the number of people attending accident and emergency departments; and calls upon the Government to support the development of out of hours primary care services by amending the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme to allow patients in receipt of benefits to receive reimbursement of their fares when travelling to GP co-operatives during the night.

This motion has been signed by a total of 64 MPs.