Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the details of the state-backed indemnity scheme for general practice in England.

On 12 October 2017 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that he would establish a state backed indemnity scheme for general practice in England, to put in place a more stable and affordable system of indemnity.

The Department is committed to implementing the scheme from April 2019.

This complex piece of work is undergoing detailed development with general practitioner (GP) representatives, Medical Defence Organisations and NHS England. We remain committed to delivering a scheme that prioritises meeting the needs of current and future GPs and the wider primary medical care landscape, being in the interest of patients and representing value for money for taxpayers.

On 13 June 2018, the Department published further details about the scheme, highlighting that:

- Ministers have decided that the scheme will include activities delivered under the primary medical care contracts (General Medical Services, Personal Medical Services, Alternative Provider Medical Services). Recognising that delivering these activities is not limited to GPs, other professions where they are working under the primary medical care contracts will be included in the scheme. The scheme will also include work delivered under the primary medical care contracts that are delivered in secure environments; and

- The current intention is that the scheme will exclude NHS primary care dentistry and private dentistry, private healthcare and community pharmacy and optometry.