Dr Julian Lewis:  To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the extent of and (b) the potential effect on (i) the health outcomes of patients and (ii) the average waiting time for an appointment of the requirement by GPs that one ailment is discussed at each surgery visit; whether he has plans to ban this practice; and if he will make a statement.  [19720]

[To be Answered on 2 March.]

ANSWER

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care (Jo Churchill): General practitioner (GP) practices are contracted by the National Health Service to provide essential services as are appropriate to meet the reasonable needs of their patients. Those contracts do not specify how GP practices organise their appointment systems or how long each appointment should be as ultimately that will be a professional judgement for GPs on how best they can meet the reasonable needs of their patients, safely and effectively.

Patients are generally advised to plan ahead for their appointments to make sure they cover everything they may want to discuss. Writing a list of problems, starting with the most important is commonly advised and patients with complicated or multiple problems may need to ask for a longer appointment when they book.