Vol. 423 No. 8
145 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will introduce an arrangement whereby general practitioners will be in a position to have direct access to hospital physiotherapy facilities rather than referring patients to hospital consultants, thereby reducing the cost to the health boards.
I consider that there is an urgent need to improve the interface between general practitioners and the general hospital system. The management side in the current GMS review discussions have put forward proposals in relation to the organisation and development of general practice which would help to improve this interface. These proposals include the identification of appropriate hospital investigative and other facilities to which general practitioners would have access and I am hopeful that, arising from these discussions, a more integrated health care system will emerge.
