Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Ministry of Justice's decision to change the personal injury discount rate on the future costs of indemnity insurance for GPs.

The Department is aware that the rising cost of indemnity is an area of concern for general practitioners (GPs).

The change in the personal injury discount rate announced by the then Lord Chancellor (Elizabeth Truss) in February 2017 has significantly increased the cost of claims. The Department has been assessing the potential effect of the discount rate change by working closely with GPs and Medical Defence Organisations to ensure that appropriate funding is available to meet additional costs to GPs, recognising the crucial role they play in the delivery of National Health Service care.